Marine acoustics research at UCC – from cetacean monitoring to underwater noise mapping for MSFD

Gerry Sutton and Ailbhe Cavanagh

• Research Drivers • Population surveys• Pressures & Impacts on sensitive Spp: OOG; coastal dev’t; shipping, ORE• MSFD – Good Environmental Status (GES)

• Progression• Systematic cetacean surveys – National monitoring 2000’s – towed hydrophone

work• Long term passive acoustic monitoring

• Broadhaven - Mayo• Westwave – Clare

• EPA award – UCC- Quiet Oceans partnership 2013• Innovative sound mapping and field recording • National – International recognition DOE-EPA - TSG

• Smartbay NIAP - Remote MSFD D11 monitoring system - 2015• Active acoustics- ADD’s 2016

• Future• Expand capacity- strategic research area MaREI• Regional-National collaboration & coherence• R & D National/EU/ Global

• Shell/RSK/UCC• Long-term dataset• PAM – CPODs• 4 sites• Year-round

coverage• Concurrent visual

monitoring

Broadhaven Bay Monitoring Programme

• UCC & Aquafact

• 2014 – 2016

• PAM – CPODs

• Concurrent visual monitoring- aerial

• DAFM/BIM

• Development and testing of ADDs

• 2017

Terra Dawson

Acoustic Deterrent Devices

MSFD Art 9: 2008- GES by 2020

11.1. Distribution in time and place of loud, low and mid frequency impulsive sounds :

11.2. Continuous low frequency sound :

Annex-1: Descriptor 11 has 2 indicators

EPA Strive Award2011-W-MS-7: MSFD-Support Research on Descriptor 11 (Noise)

2012-2014

• Identify licensed activities producing loud, low and mid frequency impulsive sounds

• Model the degree to which sound propagates at different frequency bands

• Design an effective noise monitoring network of observation stations for Ireland’s EEZ

• Disseminate information on the project process and progress to a wide range of end users

• Key outputs published in Strive Report No:121

“Mapping the spatio-temporal distribution of underwater noise in Irish waters”

Gerry Sutton, Mark Jessopp, Thomas Folegot and Dominique Clorenec.(http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/water/strive121-summaryoffindings.html#.VIa7aDGsWSp)

Quonops sound modelling system

Sample of UW noise recorded in July 2013 in Cork Harbour

Raw data

Processed data example: Cumulative distribution plot

10th percentile : anthropogenic noise

Illustration showing how seismic survey location affects thespread pattern and overall extent of ‘noise footprint’

Overlap of cumulative noise risk with low frequency marine mammal distribution in spring and summer

A risk map for Harbour Porpoises in Irish waters showing area affected by a seismic survey operation. Risk represents the cumulative risk from multiple airgun blasts

conducted over an entire survey.

Area of

low risk Significant risk

of temporary

hearing

damage

Significant risk of

behavioral changes

SmartBay NIAP-Autonomous MSFD monitoring system

General Arrangement of Buoy, Moorings & Hydrophone

Ch

ain

Ch

ain

3T weight

3T weight

Buoy

Ethernet Rugged Cable(TBD)

Hydrophone~50m

QO-Acoustic Box

Embedded processingPowerAlert Shutdown

Serial Agent

SensorData Acquisition

ADC

Ethernet

Power 9-14V

COMEthernet

HydrophoneicListen HF

Power12-24 V dc input (10.8-26.4 V dc) 2 W with Ethernet link

Resolution 24 bits

Sampling Frequency512ks/sec, 256 ks/sec,128, 64, 32, 16,…)CommunicationEthernet compliant with Linux standard UDP and TCP/IP

Real-time Data Stream at the Telemetry Port

• 1/3- octave Sound Pressure Level : 48 values from Hz to kHz every 10 seconds

• Broadband Sound Pressure Level: 1 value every 10 seconds

• Broadband Sound Exposure Level: 1 value every 10 seconds

• Status : 3 values

JONAS - Joint Framework for Ocean Noise in the Atlantic Seas

• Atlantic Area Interreg proposal under development for past 3 years

• Ireland leading plus UK/FR/Sp/Portugal

• 22 Partners including associates • Competent Authority plus domain

expert in each country • Associates include Ospar and

industry links• Tot cost 4.7m • Resubmission in March

• cost effective hierarchical and risk based approach to monitoring and modelling noise across the Atlantic Arc in the OSPAR maritime regions that are appropriate to the scale of the anthropogenic pressure and biodiversity mobility.

• build on the outcomes from BIAS Life+ project, by adapting and generalizing methods and standards from the Baltic but reflecting the scale and complex oceanography of the NE Atlantic region.

• address the problem of real-time noise monitoring and management at local scale in particularly sensitive areas.

• develop regional-scale management approaches that directly benefit vulnerable marine environments, support MSFD implementation and are based on latest scientific data and information.

• maximise the long term value by creating an innovative platform which provides maritime decision support for real-time adaptive management of sensitive marine areas.

JONAS aims to address acoustic pressures on marine environments and biodiversity in the North Atlantic by streamlining ocean noise monitoring and prediction at two different spatial and temporal scales.

Jonas outcomes• From a technical prospective we’ll have

– Standards adapted for the Atlantic Arc for acoustic measurement, modeling and processing;

– Adapted measurement tools;

– A monthly noise atlases;

– A demonstration platform for real-time monitoring

• From a policy-making prospective

– A methodology to reliably connect noise assessment with the evaluation of Good Environmental Status (GES);

– A methodology for policy makers to assess the impact of noise on marine life, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, fish and invertebrates through a risk-based approach;

– A demonstration tool for real-time risk assessment.

– The identification of high risk regions in the NE Atlantic and a common strategy for addressing GES

“Unlocking the potential of our marine and renewable energy resources through the power of research and innovation”

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