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: 1450

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound from Wind Turbines O'Neal, R., Hellweg, R., Lampeter, R. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Cetacean Stock Assessments in Relation to Exploration and Production Industry Activity and Other Human Pressures: Review and Data Needs Thomsen, F., McCully, S., Weiss, L. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Individual right whales call louder in increased environmental noise Parks, S., Johnson, M., Nowacek, D. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Annual environmental report 2010 - Belwind phase 1 Belwind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Navigation
Responses of Harbour Porpoises to Pile Driving at the Horns Rev II Offshore Wind Farm in the Danish North Sea Brandt, M., Diederichs, A., Betke, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Selected findings from the baseline and targeted monitoring Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Making the Case for the Sound Management of Marine Protected Areas Bell, E., Brennan, R., Nickell, T. Report Noise Legal & Policy, Human Dimensions
Annoyance caused by amplitude modulation of wind turbine noise Lee, S., Kim, K., Choi, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions
Predicting Tidal Turbine Noise for Environmental Impact Assessment Lloyd, T., Turnock, S., Humphrey, V. Presentation Noise
Noise Measurements Of A Prototype Tidal Energy Turbine Deveau, D., Stein, P., Rotker, N. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Wind turbine noise assessment in a small and quiet community in Finland Di Napoli, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Offshore Wind Farms - Ecological Effects of Noise and Habitat Alteration on Fish Andersson, M. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Habitat Change Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Fish, Demersal Fish
Is There a Conflict Between Cetacean Conservation and Marine Renewable-Energy Developments? Brown, V., Simmonds, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
From Oceanographic to Acoustic Forecasting: Acoustic Model Calibration using in Situ Acoustic Measures Martins, N., Jesus, S. Conference Paper Noise
Field Calibration a Tool for Acoustic Noise Prediction: The CALCOM'10 Data Set Felisberto, P., Jesus, S., Martins, N. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise on Wildlife: Research Priorities for the Development of Standards and Mitigation Blickley, J., Patricelli, G. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Airborne and Underwater Noise Assessment at the Pico OWC Wave Power Plant de Moura, A., Carvalho, M., Patricio, S. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Characteristics of Underwater Ambient Noise at a Proposed Tidal Energy Site in Puget Sound Bassett, C., Thomson, J., Polagye, B. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
The Marine Soundscape and the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Mammals Erbe, C. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals
Marine Megavertebrates and Fishery Resources in the Nantucket Sound – Muskeget Channel Area: Assessing Impacts of Marine Renewable Energy Installations on Marine Megavertebrates - Recommendations for the Proposed Muskeget Channel Tidal Energy Project Leeney, R., Nichols, O., Sette, L. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Bayesian Integration for Marine Spatial Planning and Renewable Energy Siting Halsey, K., Goldfinger, C. Research Study Marine Energy Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
The emergence of a new marine renewable energy industry – what are the implications for fisheries? Bell, M., Side, J., Kerr, S. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries
Wave Energy and Underwater Noise: Assessment and Monitoring Aspects Patricio, S., Soares, C. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wave Noise
Assessing the Responses of Coastal Cetaceans to the Construction of Offshore Wind Turbines Thompson, P., Lusseau, D., Barton, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Statutory Nature Conservation Agency Protocol for Minimising the Risk of Injury to Marine Mammals from Piling Noise Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Ocean Current Turbine Rotor Noise Glegg, S. Research Study Tidal, Ocean Current, Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals
A Noisy Spring: The Impact of Globally Rising Underwater Sound Levels on Fish Slabbekoorn, H., Bouton, N., van Opzeeland, I. Journal Article Noise Fish
The Effect of a Large Danish Offshore Wind Farm on Harbor and Gray Seal Haul-Out Behavior Edrén, S., Andersen, S., Teilmann, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals
Classification of Three-Dimensional Ocean Features using Three-Dimensional Empirical Orthogonal Functions Martins, N., Calado, L., Paula, A. Conference Paper Noise
Human Perception of Sound from Wind Turbines Pedersen, E., Forssén, J., Waye, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions
Assessing Underwater Noise Levels during Pile-Driving at an Offshore Windfarm and its Potential Effects on Marine Mammals Bailey, H., Senior, B., Simmons, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines Chief Medical Officer of Heath of Ontario Report Wind Energy Noise Human Dimensions, Health & Safety
Acoustic Effects of Tidal Energy Polagye, B., Thomson, J., Copping, A. Research Study Tidal, Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Fish
Adapting Offshore Wind Power Foundations to Local Environment Hammar, L., Andersson, S., Rosenberg, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Physical Environment, Invertebrates
An Analysis of the Potential Acoustic Effects of Cape Wind's Offshore Wind Farm on Marine Mammal Populations Burgman, J. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Effects of Pile-Driving Noise on the Behaviour of Marine Fish Mueller-Blenkle, C., McGregor, P., Gill, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Avoidance Fish, Demersal Fish
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - Scoping Opinion Thompson, F. Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Assessment of the acoustic effects on marine animals by an offshore wind farm. Miller, J., Potty, G., Raposa, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - Scoping Report Szylak, S. Report Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Waterfowl, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Navigation
The Costs of Chronic Noise Exposure for Terrestrial Organisms Barber, J., Crooks, K., Fristrup, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Marine Energy Noise
Displaying 1201 - 1240 of 1450 results