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
Predicted and observed responses of harbour porpoises to pile driving noise at Moray West Offshore Wind Farm Thompson, P., Benhemma-Le Gall, A., Lee, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Offshore Wind Energy and Whales: TBC Industry Briefing Note The Biodiversity Consultancy Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Physiological and behavioral effects of underwater noise on the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and the blackhead seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) Wang, Z., Jin, R., Xu, P. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Fish
Immediate and short-term effects of pile-driving on Hector’s dolphin in Lyttelton Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand Clement, D., Pavanato, H., Lenky, C. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Approaches to attributing underwater noise to a wave energy converter Polagye, B., Hunt, A., Mackey, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Suitability of assessing population-level impacts from construction of a single wind farm – a case study on North Sea harbour porpoises van Geel, N., Benjamins, S., Marmo, B. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Harbour porpoise trends and offshore wind farm effects in the German Bight North Sea Rose, A., Braasch, A., Diederichs, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
An analysis of fishers’ concerns and knowledge gaps relating to offshore wind development in Norway Utne-Palm, A., McQueen, K., Jong, K. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Frequently Asked Questions: Offshore Wind and Whales Whale Communications Committee Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Displacement, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Effects and management implications of emerging marine renewable energy technologies Copping, A., Wood, D., Rumes, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, OTEC, Salinity Gradient Chemicals, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals
Science priorities to evaluate the effects of offshore wind energy development on fish and fisheries in the Gulf of America Sura, S. , Czaja, R., Brugnone,N. Journal Article Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Changes in Flow, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning, Recreation & Tourism
Underwater Noise Evidence Base OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy Noise
Marine Renewable Energy: An Introduction to Environmental Effects OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Stressor-Specific Guidance Document: Underwater Noise OES-Environmental Report Marine Energy Noise
Underwater Noise Conflict Resolution: Framework Report Xodus Group Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
How do tides affect underwater acoustic propagation? A collaborative approach to improve internal wave modeling at basin to global scales Schönau, M., Hiron, L., Ragland, J. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
The impact of sound ordinances on the land-based wind technical potential of the United States Gu, J., Glaws, A., Harrison-Atlas, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Towards more accurate sound field verification using directional acoustic filtering Barosin, E. , Raghukumar, K. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Pile driving sound induces short-term behavioral changes in black sea bass (Centropristis striata): A field study Jarriel, S., Jézéquel, Y., Formel, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish
Soundscape and fish passive acoustic monitoring around a North Sea gas-production platform in the Dogger Bank Bolgan, M., Bhalla, S., Boyer Todd, I. Journal Article Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish
Improving decisionmaking in relation to offshore wind priority knowledge and decision support needs for Australia Australian Marine Conservation Society Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Sediment-Borne Wave Disturbances and Propagation and Potential Effects on Benthic Fauna Giordano, B., Amaral, J., Guan, S. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Demersal Fish
Offshore wind FAQs Australian Marine Conservation Society Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Tidal Stream Energy Project: Collision Risk Data and Evidence Summary Phillips, E., Wren, S., King, G. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Avoidance, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Sustainability Assessment of an Oscillating Water Column During the Design, Installation, Operation, and Disassembly Phases Gallego-Ramírez, C., López-Mosquera, J., Chica, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Wind Turbines and Health Clean Energy Council Summary Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions
Offshore Wind Energy in Canada: Charting an Ecologically Sustainable Future from International Law and Policy Coordinates and State Practices Alikhani, M. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats, Birds
Cognitive neuroscience approach to explore the impact of wind turbine noise on various mental functions Rosciszewska, A., Buszkiewicz, M., Dobrzynska-Kobylec, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions
Assessing the potential acoustic impact of floating offshore wind farms in the Central Mediterranean Sea Baldachini, M., Pace, F., Buscaino, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Sea Turtle Acoustic Ecology: Addressing Priority Data Gaps in Knowledge of Sea Turtle Hearing Sensitivity Muirhead, C., Piniak, W., Nowacek, D. Report Noise Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Adrift in the California Current Survey: Passive Acoustic Monitoring in the California Current using Drifting Recorders Rankin, S., Burger, K., Hom-Weaver, C. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
ScotMER 7th Symposium 2025: WREN Marine Scotland Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
ScotMER 7th Symposium 2025: Marine Mammals & Underwater Noise Marine Scotland Presentation Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Hywind Tampen Floating Offshore Wind - Sound Source Characterisation of Operational Floating Turbines Welch, S., Burns, R., Lumsden, C. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Ecosystem Processes
Outlook on the development of eco-friendly offshore renewable energy technologies Sun, P., Jiang, Z., Chen, Y. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
Guidance for Monitoring and Reporting of Underwater Noise Chumbinho, R. Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Ecosystem Processes, Marine Mammals
Soundscape research in wind farms: A state of art review Xu, X., Tong, H., Kang, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Human Dimensions
SafeWave Deliverable 3.2 Sound Propagation Modelling Gambin, J.A.G., Topon, K.A.S., Felis, I. Report Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Prediction of operating offshore wind farms underwater noise from reanalysis of single point underwater noise measurement Firjatullah, M., Brodjonegoro, I., Bakti, F. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Sensitivity Mapping of Relative Risks to Bats from Danish Offshore Wind Energy Brinkløv, S., Uebel, A., Fjederholt, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats
Displaying 81 - 120 of 1482 results