Short Science Summary: Underwater Noise

Dolphin

Potential Environmental Effects on Animals from Marine Renewable Energy: Underwater Noise

Animals use sound in the marine environment like humans and animals use light (sight) on land. Underwater sound allows animals to communicate, navigate, interact, forage, and avoid predation. The extent to which marine animals detect and produce sound varies by species and may range across frequencies and sound levels. Marine animals are already subject to sources of anthropogenic noise under water; the addition of sound from marine renewable energy (MRE) devices could induce stress, behavioral changes (such as avoidance), a range of physical injuries, and a temporary or permanent reduction in hearing ability that can mask other sounds. The propagation of sound from MRE devices dissipates with distance from the device, depending on specific ocean conditions and the level of sound generated by each device. Construction activities at sea can create loud underwater noise, while noise from operational MRE devices is much quieter.

This Short Science Summary was developed based on the OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World, specifically Chapter 4: Risk to Marine Animals from Underwater Noise Generated by Marine Renewable Energy Devices. 

Download the Underwater Noise Short Science Summary

The table below contains the literature relevant to environmental effects of underwater noise on marine animals and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
An Evaluation of the Potential Impact of Extracting Marine Renewable Energy in the Coastal Environment of the Black Sea Zburlea, L., Rusu, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Physical Environment, Fish, Marine Mammals
JUMP Deliverable 2: Inventory of background information Sobreira, F., Cruz, E., Luís, A., dos Santos, M. Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Noise
Ocean energy and the environment: Research and strategic actions ETIP Ocean Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Physical Environment, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
Potential Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development—The State of the Science Copping, A., Hemery, L., Overhus, D., Garavelli, L., Freeman, M., Whiting, J., Gorton, A., Farr, H., Rose, D., Tugade, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entrapment, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data
Wave and Tidal Stream Critical Evidence Needs ORJIP Ocean Energy Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, Noise Birds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
A Review on Environmental and Social Impacts of Thermal Gradient and Tidal Currents Energy Conversion and Application to the Case of Chiapas, Mexico Rivera, G., Felix, A., Mendoza, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions
Effects of marine noise pollution on Mediterranean fishes and invertebrates: A review Di Franco, E., Pierson, P., Di lorio, L., Calo, A., Cottalorda, J., Derijard, B., Di Franco, A., Galve, A., Guibbolini, M., Lebrun, J., Micheli, F., Priouzeau, F., Risso-de Faverney, C., Rossi, F., Sabourault, C., Spennato, G., Verrando, P., Guidetti, P. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Invertebrates
2020 State of the Science Report - Chapter 4: Risk to Marine Animals from Underwater Noise Generated by Marine Renewable Energy Devices Polagye, B., Bassett, C. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
2020 State of the Science Report - Chapter 13: Risk Retirement and Data Transferability for Marine Renewable Energy Copping, A., Freeman, M., Gorton, A., Hemery, L. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave EMF, Noise Human Dimensions
OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World Copping, A., Hemery, L. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entrapment, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Reptiles, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data
Cavitation observations, underwater radiated noise measurements and full-scale predictions of the Hydro-Spinna turbine Rosli, R., Shi, W., Aktas, B., Norman, R., Atlar, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
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., Shelledy, K., Mooney, T., Van Parijs, S. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Fish
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., Juanes, F. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Fish
Review of Available Models for Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Buenau, K., Garavelli, L., Hemery, L., Garcia Medina, G. , Hibler, L. Report Marine Energy Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise
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 Seabirds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Characterisation of underwater operational sound of a tidal stream turbine Risch, D., van Geel, N., Gillespie, D., Wilson, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Characterisation of underwater operational sound of a tidal stream turbine Risch, D., van Geel, N., Gillespie, D., Wilson, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Risk Retirement—Decreasing Uncertainty and Informing Consenting Processes for Marine Renewable Energy Development Copping, A., Freeman, M., Gorton, A., Hemery, L. Journal Article Marine Energy EMF, Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
A Vector Sensor-Based Acoustic Characterization System for Marine Renewable Energy Raghukumar, K., Chang, G., Spada, F., Jones, C. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise
Baseline assessment of underwater noise in the Ria Formosa Soares, C., Pacheco, A., Zabel, F., González-Goberña, E., Sequeira, C. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Deep neural networks for automated detection of marine mammal species Shiu, Y., Palmer, K. , Roch, M. , Fleishman, E., Liu, X. , Nosal, E. , Helble, T. , Cholewiak, D., Gillespie, D., Klinck, H. Journal Article Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals
Behavioural responses in a congested sea: an observational study on a coastal nest-guarding fish Mascolino, S., Mariani, S., Benvenuto, C. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Noise Fish
The importance of underwater sounds to gadoid fishes Hawkins, A., Picciulin, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Demersal Fish
Risk balancing by a marine mammal: man-made noise reduces the foraging success of seals Hastie, G., Lepper, P., McKnight, C., Milne, R., Russell, D., Thompson, D. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
Using dose–response functions to improve calculations of the impact of anthropogenic noise Tyack, P., Thomas, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals
WETS Acoustic Survey Final Report 2019 Sea Engineering, Inc. Report Marine Energy, Wave Noise Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Acoustic impact of a wave energy converter in Mediterranean shallow waters Buscaino, G., Mattiazzo, G., Sannino, G., Papale, E., Bracco, G., Grammauta, R., Carillo, A., Kenny, J., De Cristofaro, N., Ceraulo, M., Mazzola, S. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Noise Fish
Acoustic characterization of marine energy converters - IEC TS 62600-40:2019 International Electrotechnical Commission Guidance Marine Energy Noise
Impact of pile-driving on Hector's dolphin in Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand Leunissen, E., Rayment, W., Dawson, S. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Final License Application for the PacWave South Project Oregon State University Report Marine Energy, Wave Entrapment, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy, Navigation
Providing ecological context to anthropogenic subsea noise: Assessing listening space reductions of marine mammals from tidal energy devices Pine, M., Schmitt, P., Culloch, R., Lieber, L., Kregting, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds
An overview of fish bioacoustics and the impacts of anthropogenic sounds on fishes Popper, A., Hawkins, A. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Offshore Wind Noise Fish
Deliverable 2.1 Monitoring plans for Noise, Electromagnetic Fields and Seabed Integrity Vinagre, P., Cruz E., Chainho, P., Ruiz, P., Felis, I., Muxika, I., Bald, J. Report Marine Energy, Wave Changes in Flow, EMF, Noise Physical Environment, Fish, Marine Mammals
Baseline Presence of and Effects of Tidal Turbine Installation and Operations on Harbour Porpoise in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Canada Tollit, D., Joy, R., Wood, J., Redden, A., Booth, C., Boucher, T., Porskamp, P., Oldreive, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
D6.2 Environmental Impact Report of the H2020 project PowerKite Kregting, L., Schmitt, P., Lieber, L., Culloch, R., Horne, N., Smyth, D. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Power Take-Off System for a Subsea Tidal Kite D6.2 - Environmental Impact Report Kregting, L., Schmitt, P., Lieber, L., Culloch, R., Horne, N., Smyth, A. Report Marine Energy, Ocean Current Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
Noise characterization of a subsea tidal kite Schmitt, P., Pine, M., Culloch, R., Lieber, L., Kregting, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise
Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Animals Slabbekoorn, H., Dooling, R., Popper, A., Fay, R. Book Wind Energy, Marine Energy Noise
Effects of Man-Made Sound on Fishes Hawkins, A., Popper, A. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Noise Fish
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