Quonops©, la prévision opérationnelle en acoustique sous-marine sur grille de calcul

National audienceQuonops©, la prévision opérationnelle en acoustique sous-marine sur grille de calcu

Quonops©, la prévision opérationnelle en acoustique sous-marine sur grille de calcul

National audienceQuonops©, la prévision opérationnelle en acoustique sous-marine sur grille de calcu

Dataflow of underwater noise measurements: from OBSEA to EMODnet

Underwater noise has been significantly raising in the past decades due to an increment of human-related activities in the oceans such as shipping, industrial activities, seismic explorations, etc. These activities may have adverse effects on fish and mammals, such as communications masking and modifying predator– prey interactions. In order to assess and limit the impact of these, the European Commission approved the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) which aims to achieve a good environmental status in European waters. Within this directive different environmental challenges are addressed, including the long-term monitoring of underwater noise throughout European waters. EMODnet Physics, one of the European Marine Observation and Data network thematic portals, which is is currently providing easy access to data and products of: wave height and period; temperature and salinity of the water column; wind speed and direction; horizontal velocity of the water column; light attenuation; sea ice coverage and sea level trends. EMODnet Physics is continuously increasing the number and type of platforms in the system by unlocking and providing high quality data from a growing network. EMODnet Physics has recently started working on water noise with the aim of making available more operational data (in terms of parameters and format that are close to MSFD I.11 requirements), offer a single European entry point to impulsive noise registries (MSFD I.11.1) and work on (regional) sound maps are three key identified activities for Physics. Furthermore the very first operational under water noise data (i.e. Sound Pressure Level – SPL), and HELCOM and OSPAR impulsive sounds registry were connected and are now available on the portal. Exploiting the LIDO (Listen to Deep Ocean) knowledge and the BIAS project (https://biasproject. wordpress.com/) experience EMODnet Physics will develop and make available monthly sound maps. In this presentation, we give an overview of how EMODnet Physics is organized, with a particular focus on this new data flow and its perspectives.Peer Reviewe

Spatial and temporal variability of ambient underwater sound in the Baltic Sea

During last decades, anthropogenic underwater sound and its chronic impact on marine species have been recognised as an environmental protection challenge. At the same time, studies on the spatial and temporal variability of ambient sound, and how it is affected by biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors are lacking. This paper presents analysis of a large-scale and long-term underwater sound monitoring in the Baltic Sea. Throughout the year 2014, sound was monitored in 36 Baltic Sea locations. Selected locations covered different natural conditions and ship traffic intensities. The 63 Hz, 125 Hz and 2 kHz one-third octave band sound pressure levels were calculated and analysed. The levels varied significantly from one monitoring location to another. The annual median sound pressure level of the quietest and the loudest location differed almost 50 dB in the 63 Hz one-third octave band. Largest difference in the monthly medians was 15 dB in 63 Hz one-third octave band. The same monitoring locations annual estimated probability density functions for two yearly periods show strong similarity. The data variability grows as the averaging time period is reduced. Maritime traffic elevates the ambient sound levels in many areas of the Baltic Sea during extensive time periods

Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas- Part II: Monitoring Guidance Specifications

This document has been prepared by the Technical Subgroup on Underwater Noise and other forms of Energy (TSG Noise), established in 2010 by the Marine Directors, i.e. the representatives of directorates or units in European Union Member States, Acceding Countries, Candidate Countries and EFTA Member States dealing with or responsible for marine issues. In December 2011, the Marine Directors requested the TSG Noise to provide monitoring guidance that could be used by Member States in establishing monitoring schemes to meet the needs of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive indicators for underwater noise in their marine waters. This document presents the recommendations and information needed to commence the monitoring required for underwater noise.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Monitoring Guidance for Underwater Noise in European Seas - Part I: Executive Summary

This document has been prepared by the Technical Subgroup on Underwater Noise and other forms of Energy (TSG Noise), established in 2010 by the Marine Directors, i.e. the representatives of directorates or units in European Union Member States, Acceding Countries, Candidate Countries and EFTA Member States dealing with or responsible for marine issues. In December 2011, the Marine Directors requested the TSG Noise to provide monitoring guidance that could be used by Member States in establishing monitoring schemes to meet the needs of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive indicators for underwater noise in their marine waters. This document presents the key conclusions and recommendations that support the implementation of the practical guidance to commence the monitoring required for underwater noise.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Now casting Anthropogenic Ocean Noise in High Pressure Areas

International audienceIn order to address the issue of ambient noise monitoring under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, a global anthropogenic noise prediction system called Quonops© has been designed similarly to meteorological forecasting systems. Quonops© combines real-time environmental data and real-time human information and assimilates real-time acoustic measurements to produce the resulting 3D ocean noise fields as a function of time. The system has been thought to cover most basins and activities. The French Hydrographic Office and ENSTA Bretagne have conducted a monitoring experiment in the West-end of the British Channel in the vicinity of the Ushant traffic separation scheme. Two hydrophones were deployed at about mid-depth, one at the border of the south-going route, another 10NM off the same route. It has been observed that even with high noise levels, the measure is likely to be affected by local events, inducing up to 30dB dynamics at the scale of hours. Quonops© has been implemented to now-cast the low frequency noise in the same area. The comparison at the hydrophone locations of the prediction and measurement has shown good agreement, predicting in particular the statistical and stochastic content of the ambient noise in such a high pressure area

Is received level average sufficient to describe ambient noise in heavy traffic areas?

International audienceThe Marine Strategy Framework Directive imposes to European governments to monitor ambient noise. There are multiple ways of monitoring the ambient noise. Although certainly economical considerations have to be taken into considerations, there is a need to discuss the representativeness of ambient noise measurement by the only means of hydrophones. A hydrophone will only give a local and punctual knowledge. As long as the measurement is not contaminated with self-noise, mechanical noise from the mooring itself or the water flow around the sensor, measurement present the great advantage of providing a ground truth. However, for ambient noise being stochastic by essence, masking effects between numbers of anthropic sources are likely to occur for significant period of times. Hydrophones therefore measure the closest noise events. An ambient noise experiment done in the western part of the British Channel in 2010 has demonstrated such effects, and serves questioning the representativeness of noise monitoring exclusively based on measurement. The choice of the metric and the influence of the geographical configuration of the monitoring scheme on noise characterization will be discussed. Coupling measurement with modeling is foreseen as a solution to bring more representativeness to ocean noise assessment

Underwater operational noise level emitted by a tidal current turbine and its potential impact on marine fauna

International audienc

Noise footprint: A proposal within the framework of FP7 AQUO project to define a goal based approach towards the reduction of underwater radiated noise from shipping

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive has officially stated as soon as 2008 the anthropogenic noise due to shipping were to be mitigated. The policy makers, the yards and the ship owners still strongly rely on the expert studies and guidelines to find the appropriate methodology to assess and then mitigate the acoustic pollution impact shipping on the marine biota. To address this issue, the project AQU