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
Underwater Sound Levels Associated with Pile Driving at the Cape Disappointment Boat Launch Facility, Wave Barrier Project Laughlin, J. Report Noise
Likely Sensitivity of Bottlenose Dolphins to Pile-Driving Noise David, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Understanding the Impacts of Anthropogenic Sound on Beaked Whales Cox, T., Ragen, T., Read, A. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Mitigating, Monitoring and Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on Beaked Whales Barlow, J., Gisiner, R. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Environmental Noise Assessment of Wind Farms Lightstone, A. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Wind Turbine Noise - An Overview Bastasch, T., van Dam, J., Søndergaard, B. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Impacts of Offshore Wind Farm Construction on Harbour Porpoises: Acoustic Monitoring of Echolocation Activity using Porpoise Detectors (T-PODs) Carstensen, J., Henriksen, O., Teilmann, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Recent Developments in Environmental Assessment Methods for Wind Turbine Noise Howe, B., McCabe, N. Journal Article Wind Energy Noise
Final Underwater Noise Analysis of Cape Wind Energy Project ESS Group Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
The potential impact of 1-8 kHz active sonar on stocks of juvenile fish during sonar exercises Kvadsheim, P., Sevaldsen, E. Report Marine Energy Noise Fish
Environmental effect studies – Status more than two years after the erection of Horns Rev and Nysted Offshore Wind Farms Boesen, C., Andersen, S. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
The Influence of Underwater Data Transmission Sounds on the Displacement Behaviour of Captive Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) Kastelein, R., van der Heul, J., Verboom, W. Journal Article Noise, Displacement Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals
Hearing in Fish and their Reactions to Sounds from Offshore Wind Farms Wahlberg, M., Westerberg, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish
Effects of Sound on Fish Hastings, M., Popper, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish
Marine Mammal Populations and Ocean Noise: Determining When Noise Causes Biologically Significant Effects National Research Council of the National Academies (NRC) Book Noise Marine Mammals
Impacts of Anthropogenic Sound Hildebrand, J. Book Chapter Noise Marine Mammals
Some Examples of Marine Mammal 'Discomfort Thresholds' in Relation to Man-Made Noise Verboom, W., Kastelein, R. Report Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise-a dose–response relationship Pedersen, E., Waye, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement
Measurements of Underwater Noise During Construction of Offshore Wind Farms and Comparison with Background Noise Nedwell, J., Langworthy, J., Howell, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
A Review of Offshore Windfarm Related Underwater Noise Sources Nedwell, J., Howell, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
A Review Of The Records Of Giant Squid In The North-Eastern Atlantic And Severe Injuries In Architeuthis Dux Stranded After Acoustic Explorations Guerra, A., González, A., Rocha, F. Conference Paper Noise Invertebrates
Fish and Marine Mammal Audiograms: A summary of available information Nedwell, J., Edwards, B., Turnpenny, A. Report Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
Masked auditory thresholds in sciaenid fishes: A comparative study Ramcharitar, J., Popper, A. Journal Article Noise Fish, Human Dimensions
Whale-call response to masking boat noise Foote, A., Osborne, R., Hoelzel, R. Journal Article Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Bouw en exploitatie van een windmolenpark op de Thorntonbank in de Noordzee: Milieueffectenbeoordeling van het project ingediend door de n.v. C-Power Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Chemicals, Collision, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy
North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) Ignore Ships but Respond to Alerting Stimuli Nowacek, D., Johnson, M., Tyack, P. Journal Article Attraction, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Marine Mammal Monitoring Plan: San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project Caltrans Report Noise Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals
Underwater Noise Emissions from Offshore Wind Turbines Betke, K., Schultz-von Glahn, M., Matuschek, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Behavioural Reactions of Free-Ranging Porpoises and Seals to the Noise of a Simulated 2 MW Windpower Generator Koschinski, S., Culik, B., Henriksen, O. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Anthropogenic Sound: Effects on the Behavior and Physiology of Fishes Popper, A., Fewtrell, J., Smith, M. Journal Article Noise Fish
Measurement of Underwater Noise During Piling at the Red Funnel Terminal, Southampton, and Observation of its Affect on Caged Fish Nedwell, J., Turnpenny, A., Langworthy, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish
Auditory and Behavioral Responses of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) to Single Underwater Impulses from an Arc-Gap Transducer Finneran, J., Dear, R., Carder, D. Journal Article Noise Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals
Utgrunden Offshore Wind Farm Measurements of Underwater Noise Ingemansson Technology Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Assessment of Sub-Sea Acoustic Noise and Vibration from Offshore Wind Turbines and its Impact on Marine Wildlife; Initial Measurements of Underwater Noise during Construction of Offshore Windfarms, and Comparison with Background Noise Nedwell, J., Langworthy, J., Howell, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
Marine Wind Farms and Cetaceans Doleman, S., Simmonds, M., Keith, S. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Short-Term Effects of the Construction of Wind Turbines on Harbour Porpoises at Horns Reef Tougaard, J., Carstensen, J., Hendriksen, O. Report Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Offshore Wind Energy in Europe— A Review of the State-of-the-Art Henderson, A., Morgan, C., Smith, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Birds, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals National Research Council of the National Academies (NRC) Book Noise Marine Mammals
High Intensity Anthropogenic Sound Damages Fish Ears McCauley, R., Fewtrell, J., Popper, A. Journal Article Noise Fish
Sound Detection Mechanisms and Capabilities of Teleost Fishes Popper, A., Fay, R., Platt, C. Book Chapter Marine Energy EMF, Noise Fish
Displaying 1361 - 1400 of 1450 results