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
Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) can detect auditory cues while diving Hansen, K., Maxwell, A., Siebert, U. Journal Article Noise Birds, Seabirds
FORCE Marine Mammal EEMP 1st Year Monitoring Report Joy, R., Wood, J., Robertson, F. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Good noise, bad noise: A tricky case of balancing risk of physical injury against acoustic disturbance for marine mammals and tidal energy devices Wilson, B., Marmo, B., Lepper, P. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Noise Marine Mammals
Acoustic characterization of wave energy converters Polagye, B., Murphy, P., Cross, P. Report Marine Energy, Wave Noise
A Snapshot of Risk for Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Copping, A., Kramer, S. Conference Paper Marine Energy Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise
Sound Propagation Through the Stochastic Ocean Henyey, F. Journal Article Noise
Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project: 2016 Environmental Monitoring Report ORPC Maine Report Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Wildlife and Wind Farms - Conflicts and Solutions, Volume 1. Onshore: Potential Effects Perrow, M. Book Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Invertebrates, Reptiles, Terrestrial Mammals
Offshore exposure experiments on cuttlefish indicate received sound pressure and particle motion levels associated with acoustic trauma Solé, M., Sigray, P., Lenoir, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Invertebrates
ISO 18405:2017 Underwater acoustics-Terminology ISO/TC 43/SC 3 Book Marine Energy Noise
Seismic survey noise disrupted fish use of a temperate reef Paxton, A., Taylor, C., Nowacek, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
A Simulation Approach to Assessing Environmental Risk of Sound Exposure to Marine Mammals Donovan, C., Harris, C., Milazzo, L. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals
Measurements of hydro sound emissions during internal jet cutting during monopile decommissioning Hinzmann, N., Stein, P., Gattermann, J. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Marine Protected Areas and Offshore Wind Farms Sanders, N., Haynes, T., Goriup, P. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Avoidance Marine Mammals
Acoustic characterization of Mutriku OWC Plant Bald, J., Uriarte, A., Ruiz-Minguela, P. Presentation Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Monitoring the Condition of Marine Renewable Energy Devices through Underwater Acoustic Emissions: Case study of a Wave Energy Converter in Falmouth Bay, UK Walsh, J., Bashir, I., Garrett, J. Journal Article Wave, Marine Energy Noise
A Sound Approach to Assessing the Impact of Underwater Noise on Marine Fishes and Invertebrates Hawkins, A., Popper, A. Journal Article Noise Invertebrates, Fish
Is There a State-of-the-Art to Reduce Pile-Driving Noise? Bellmann, M., Schuckenbrock, J., Gündert, S. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Lake Erie Monitoring Plan for the Offshore Wind Project: Icebreaker Wind LimnoTech Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Ecosystem Processes, Fish
The influence of sea ice, wind speed and marine mammals on Southern Ocean ambient sound Menze, S., Zitterbart, D., Opzeeland, I. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Civil Engineering Aspects of a Wind Farm and Wind Turbine Structures Bhattacharya, S. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind EMF, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals
The Effect of Simulated Seal Scarer Sounds on Harbour Porpoises Hermannsen, L., Mikkelsen, L., Tougaard, J. Report Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
WETS Acoustic Measurement Field Reports Sea Engineering Inc Report Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: a Continued move towards Integration and Quantification Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment
Acoustic Characteristics of the Lifesaver Wave Energy Converter Polagye, B., Murphy, P., Cross, P. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Challenges to Characterization of Sound Produced by Marine Energy Converters Polagye, B. Book Chapter Marine Energy Noise
Review on behavioral impacts of aquatic noise on crustaceans Tidau, S., Briffa, M. Conference Paper Noise Invertebrates
Assessing the exposure of animals to acoustic disturbance: Towards an understanding of the population consequences of disturbance Costa, D., Hückstädt, L., Schwarz, L. Conference Paper Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency noise underwater sources Solé, M., Lenoir, M., Fortuno, J-M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Invertebrates
Sonar for environmental monitoring of marine renewable energy technologies Francisco, F. Thesis Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Changes in Fish Catch Rates in the Presence of Air Gun Sounds in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Streever, B., Raborn, S., Kim, K. Journal Article Noise Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Avoidance of Wind Farms by Harbour Seals is Limited to Pile Driving Activities Russell, D., Hastie, G., Thompson, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Integral NoiseSpotter Raghukumar, K., Chang, G., Spada, F. Research Study Marine Energy Noise Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Lost listening area assessment of anthropogenic sounds in the Chukchi Sea Hannay, D., Hatch, L., Harrison, J. Journal Article Noise
Winter Activity of Coastal Plain Populations of Bat Species Affected by White-Nose Syndrome and Wind Energy Facilities Grider, J., Larsen, A., Homyack, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Bats
Use of Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and Motion Analysis for Studying the Impacts of Underwater Noise upon Free Ranging Fish and Implications for Marine Energy Management Roberts, L., Perez-Dominguez, R., Elliott, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Noise Fish
Much Hubble-Bubble About Nothing? Research into the Little Bubble Curtain Method of Noise Reduction Rolfes, R., Rustemeier, J., Grießmann, T. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
The most Important Environmental Project in a German Offshore Wind Farm: Accompanying Ecological Research on the Offshore Test Field Project Alpha Ventus Beiersdorf, A., Boethling, M., Binder, A. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Like the Din in a University Canteen The Underwater Operating Noise and its Effects on Porpoises and Friend Benesch, M., Radecke, H. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
A systematic review on the behavioural responses of wild marine mammals to noise: the disparity between science and policy Gomez, C., Lawson, J., Wright, A. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Displaying 801 - 840 of 1482 results