LOS ANGELES — US federal judge on Thursday set limits for the use of marine sonar by the military in California, a practice environmentalists have long accused of putting sealife in danger. Judge Florence-Marie Cooper issued an injunction barring the navy from using mid-frequency active sonar when marine mammals are within 2,200 yards (meters) and requiring it to monitor the area for an hour to ensure no marine life is in harm’s way. However, Cooper allowed the military to use the equipment within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the coast, rejecting environmentalists’ demands for a 25-mile (40-kilometer) exclusion zone. The National Resources Defense Council, which led the environmentalists’ suit, called the decision a victory, while the navy said it planned to review the decision. Marine life advocates have argued since 2005 that the use of navy sonars was endangering whales’ lives by causing them to become disoriented and stranded on beaches. In August, the San Francisco federal appeals court had overturned a ruling by Cooper that had banned the use of sonars off the coast of California, saying it was excessive.