Underwater noise levels in UK waters

Merchant, Nathan D.; Brookes, Kate L.; Faulkner, Rebecca C.; Bicknell, Anthony W. J.; Godley, Brendan J.; Witt, Matthew J.

doi:10.1038/srep36942

Cited by 95 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Daily ambient noise at each receiver location was calculated as a median SPL (Merchant et al . ). The acoustic exposure model was run contemporaneously for these four locations at the same temporal resolution.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Seals and shipping: quantifying population risk and individual exposure to vessel noise

Jones

Hastie

Smout

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Vessels can have acute and chronic impacts on marine species. The rate of increase in commercial shipping is accelerating, and there is a need to quantify and potentially manage the risk of these impacts. 2. Usage maps characterising densities of grey and harbour seals and ships around the British Isles were used to produce risk maps of seal co-occurrence with shipping traffic. Acoustic exposure to individual harbour seals was modelled in a study area using contemporaneous movement data from 28 animals fitted with UHF global positioning satellite telemetry tags and automatic identification system data from all ships during 2014 and 2015. Data from four acoustic recorders were used to validate sound exposure predictions. 3. Across the British Isles, rates of co-occurrence were highest within 50 km of the coast, close to seal haul-outs. Areas identified with high risk of exposure included 11 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC; from a possible 25). Risk to harbour seal populations was highest, affecting half of all SACs associated with the species. 4. Predicted cumulative sound exposure level, cSELs(M pw ), over all seals was 176Á8 dB re 1 lPa 2 s (95% CI 163Á3-190Á4), ranging from 170Á2 dB re 1lPa 2 s (95% CI 168Á4-171Á9) to 189Á3 dB re 1 lPa 2 s (95% CI 172Á6-206Á0) for individuals. This represented an increase in 28Á3 dB re 1 lPa 2 s over measured ambient noise. For 20 of 28 animals in the study, 95% CI for cSELs(M pw ) had upper bounds above levels known to induce temporary threshold shift. Predictions of broadband received sound pressure levels were underestimated on average by 0Á7 dB re 1 lPa (AE3Á3). 5. Synthesis and applications. We present a framework to allow shipping noise, an important marine anthropogenic stressor, to be explicitly incorporated into spatial planning. Potentially sensitive areas are identified through quantifying risk to marine species of exposure to shipping traffic, and individual noise exposure is predicted with associated uncertainty in an area with varying rates of co-occurrence. The detailed approach taken here facilitates spatial planning with regard to underwater noise within areas protected through the Habitats Directive, and could be used to provide evidence for further designations. This framework may have utility in assessing whether underwater noise levels are at Good Environmental Status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Details of electronic Supporting Information are provided below.Appendix S1. Usage maps.Appendix S2. Modelling acoustic exposure.Appendix S3. Sound exposure levels for individuals.Appendix S4. Validating acoustic predictions with underwater sound measurements.Appendix S5. Caveats and limitations.Appendix S6. Spatial co-occurrence using 2011 ship usage maps.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Details of the data analysis procedure are given in Merchant et al . (); the monitoring data selected for comparison were resolved to one‐second resolution in one‐third octave bands between 25 Hz and 1 kHz. Broadband received SPL over this frequency range were calculated at the same 15‐min intervals used in the predictive model.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seals and shipping: quantifying population risk and individual exposure to vessel noise

Jones

Hastie

Smout

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…Ocean ambient noise levels appear to be increasing worldwide, as a result of increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., shipping, seismic surveys, and pile-driving) [21], ocean acidification [22], and global economic growth, thereby further decreasing the ability of marine animals to communicate, find prey, and socialize [23]. In recognition of its identified importance, underwater sound is now a key ocean variable, along with the more well-known quantities such as temperature, salinity, and density [24].…”

Section: Discussion and Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Vector Sensor-Based Acoustic Characterization System for Marine Renewable Energy

Raghukumar

Chang

Spada

et al. 2020

JMSE

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NoiseSpotter is a passive acoustic monitoring system that characterizes, classifies, and geo-locates anthropogenic and natural sounds in near real time. It was developed with the primary goal of supporting the evaluation of potential acoustic effects of offshore renewable energy projects. The system consists of a compact array of three acoustic vector sensors, which measures acoustic pressure and the three-dimensional particle velocity vector associated with the propagation of an acoustic wave, thereby inherently providing bearing information to an underwater source of sound. By utilizing an array of three vector sensors, the application of beamforming techniques can provide sound source localization, allowing for characterization of the acoustic signature of specific underwater acoustic sources. Here, performance characteristics of the system are presented, using data from controlled acoustic transmissions in a quiet environment and ambient noise measurements in an energetic tidal channel in the presence of non-acoustic flow noise. Data quality is demonstrated by the ability to reduce non-acoustic flow noise contamination, while system utility is shown by the ability to characterize and localize sources of sound in the underwater environment.

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“…Indicator 11.2.1 requires long-term field measurements of underwater noise levels, although EU member states have yet to establish monitoring programmes, and historical data are lacking. Cefas has led the first baseline assessment of noise levels in UK waters (Merchant et al, 2016), and is now implementing an ongoing monitoring programme in partnership with academic institutions engaged in marine research; this will become operational in 2017. Noise levels will be monitored using autonomous underwater acoustic recorders (Section Acoustics), which are moored to the seafloor (Section Fixed Point Marine Observation Systems) and periodically serviced to replenish the power supply and to recover data.…”

Section: Marine Noisementioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Tools Used for Marine Monitoring in the UK: Combining Historic and Contemporary Methods with Modeling and Socioeconomics to Fulfill Legislative Needs and Scientific Ambitions

et al. 2017

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Marine environmental monitoring is undertaken to provide evidence that environmental management targets are being met. Moreover, monitoring also provides context to marine science and over the last century has allowed development of a critical scientific understanding of the marine environment and the impacts that humans are having on it. The seas around the UK are currently monitored by targeted, impact-driven, programmes (e.g., fishery or pollution based monitoring) often using traditional techniques, many of which have not changed significantly since the early 1900s. The advent of a new wave of automated technology, in combination with changing political and economic circumstances, means that there is currently a strong drive to move toward a more refined, efficient, and effective way of monitoring. We describe the policy and scientific rationale for monitoring our seas, alongside a comprehensive description of the types of equipment and methodology currently used and the technologies that are likely to be used in the future. We contextualize the way new technologies and methodologies may impact monitoring and discuss how whole ecosystems models can give an integrated, comprehensive approach to impact assessment. Furthermore, we discuss how an understanding of the value of each data point is crucial to assess the true costs and benefits to society of a marine monitoring programme.

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Underwater noise levels in UK waters

Cited by 95 publications

References 49 publications

Seals and shipping: quantifying population risk and individual exposure to vessel noise

Seals and shipping: quantifying population risk and individual exposure to vessel noise

A Vector Sensor-Based Acoustic Characterization System for Marine Renewable Energy

A Review of the Tools Used for Marine Monitoring in the UK: Combining Historic and Contemporary Methods with Modeling and Socioeconomics to Fulfill Legislative Needs and Scientific Ambitions

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