Noise

Sound generated during the construction or operation of a device.

During the construction of wind energy or marine renewable energy devices, substantial noise levels can be produced by vessel or vehicle traffic and installation activities (e.g., pile driving, cable burial). Operation of these devices may additionally produce low levels of noise from the rotation of turbine blades, movement of floating devices on the surface, or strumming of mooring lines and cables. Measures to reduce noise impacts in the marine environment include the use of bubble curtains during pile driving and careful siting and timing of construction activities to avoid species’ critical migration routes and times.

Sound propagates farther and faster in water than in air, which can result in greater consequences for the marine environment. Coupled with the many other sources of anthropogenic noise in the marine environment (e.g., ships, seismic studies), the noise from offshore wind and marine renewable energy devices may impact many marine species. Noise may interfere with marine organisms’ communication, navigation, detection of prey, and ability to interact with their environment, as well as causing attraction to or avoidance of devices. Additionally, some marine organisms may be physically harmed from excessive noise exposure (e.g., tissue and nerve damage).

For more information relevant to marine energy, check out the Underwater Noise Short Science Summary produced by OES Environmental.

For more information relevant to offshore wind energy, check out the Underwater Noise Effects on Marine Life research brief produced by SEER.

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Tethys is a knowledge hub that contains documents on the environmental effects of wind and marine energy. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Knowledge Base associated with Noise.

Total: 1482

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Cavitation observations, underwater radiated noise measurements and full-scale predictions of the Hydro-Spinna turbine Rosli, R., Shi, W., Aktas, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Comparison of Environmental Effects from Different Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations Horwath, S., Hassrick, J., Grismala, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Reptiles
Underwater noise during percussive pile driving: Influencing factors on pile-driving noise and technical possibilities to comply with noise mitigation values Bellmann, M., May, A., Wendt, T. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Assessment methodology for impulse noise von Benda-Beckmann, S., Geelhoed, S., Kinneging, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Ontogenetic variation in the auditory sensitivity of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) and the implications of anthropogenic sound on behavior and communication Stanley, J., Caiger, P., Phelan, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Ontogenetic variation in the hearing sensitivity of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) and the implications of anthropogenic sound on behavior and communication Stanley, J., Caiger, P., Phelan, B. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Fish
A Review of the Potential Impacts of Wind Turbine Noise in the Australian Context Davy, J., Burgemeister, K., Hillman, D. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Short Science Summary 2020: Underwater Noise OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy Noise
Determination of Acoustic Compliance of Wind Farms Cooper, S., Chan, C. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Optimizing the layout of onshore wind farms to minimize noise Wu, X., Hu, W., Huang, Q. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise
Estimating the effects of pile driving sounds on seals: Pitfalls and possibilities Whyte, K., Russell, D., Sparling, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Underwater Noise Emission Due to Offshore Pile Installation: A Review Tsouvalas, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Taking the Animals' Perspective Regarding Anthropogenic Underwater Sound Popper, A., Hawkins, A., Thomsen, F. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Assessing auditory masking for management of underwater anthropogenic noise Pine, M., Nikolich, K., Martin, B. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Fish
Review of Available Models for Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Buenau, K., Garavelli, L., Hemery, L. Report Marine Energy Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise
A field comparison of marine mammal detections via visual, acoustic, and infrared (IR) imaging methods offshore Atlantic Canada Smith, H., Zitterbart, D., Norris, T. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals
Guidance for assessing the significance of noise disturbance against Conservation Objectives of harbour porpoise SACs JNCC, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Natural England Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Risk Retirement for Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Copping, A., Freeman, M., Overhus, D. Report Marine Energy Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Background to the advice on noise management within harbour porpoise SACs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland JNCC Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Consultation Report: Harbour porpoise SACs noise guidance JNCC Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Public perspectives on reducing the environmental impact of onshore wind farms: a discrete choice experiment in South Korea Lee, H., Yoo, S., Huh, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Noise Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Initial Environmental Report for the ELEMENT Project Gaborieau, H., Thiébaut, M., Quillienn, N. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Characterisation of underwater operational sound of a tidal stream turbine Risch, D., van Geel, N., Gillespie, D. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Summary of Discussions from the Marine Mammal Specialist Committee of the Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Navigation
Techniques for distinguishing between impulsive and non-impulsive sound in the context of regulating sound exposure for marine mammals Martin, S., Lucke, K., Barclay, D. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
How to set sound exposure criteria for fishes Hawkins, A., Johnson, C., Popper, A. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Fish, Human Dimensions
Underwater Noise Simulation of Impact Pile Driving for Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan Fang, Y., Sung, P., Hu, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Ecological Risk Assessment of Underwater Sounds from Dredging Operations McQueen, A., Suedel, B., de Jong, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
Risk Retirement—Decreasing Uncertainty and Informing Consenting Processes for Marine Renewable Energy Development Copping, A., Freeman, M., Gorton, A. Journal Article Marine Energy EMF, Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Optimal power dispatch strategy of onshore wind farms considering environmental impact Wu, X., Wu, W., Huang, Q. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Human Dimensions
Characterization of impact pile driving signals during installation of offshore wind turbine foundations Amaral, J., Miller, J., Potty, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Noise mitigation for the construction of increasingly large offshore wind turbines Koschinski, S., Lüdemann, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Impulsive noise pollution in the Northeast Atlantic: Reported activity during 2015–2017 Merchant, N., Andersson, M., Box, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
A Vector Sensor-Based Acoustic Characterization System for Marine Renewable Energy Raghukumar, K., Chang, G., Spada, F. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise
Human perception of wind farm vibration Nguyen, D., Hansen, K., Zajamsek, B. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Human Dimensions
Recent Advances in Wind Turbine Noise Research Hansen, C., Hansen, K. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Development of a Unique Instrumentation System to Monitor Underwater Noise Due to Pile Driving Crowley, R., Berube, J., Matemu, C. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Preliminary Results: Exploring Why Some Families Living in Proximity to Wind Turbine Facilities Contemplate Vacating Their Homes—A Community-Based Study Krogh, C., McMurtry, R., Dumbrille, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
The State of the Science on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy Development: Workshop Proceedings Gulka, J., Williams, K. Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles
A Parametric Analysis and Sensitivity Study of the Acoustic Propagation for Renewable Energy Heaney, K., Ainslie, M., Halvorsen, M. Report Wind Energy Noise Fish
Displaying 561 - 600 of 1482 results