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.

Affiliated Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Total results: 1273
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
The Importance of a Multi-Method Monitoring Approach to Assess the Effects of Anthropogenic Activity on Harbour Porpoises Maldini, D., Foley, A., Culloch, R. Conference Paper Marine Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Mammalian Mesocarnivore Visitation at Tortoise Burrows in a Wind Farm Agha, M., Smith, A., Lovich, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise, Avoidance Terrestrial Mammals, Reptiles
A Framework for Regulating Underwater Noise During Pile Driving Andersson, M., Andersson, S., Ahlsén, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals
Grassland bird community and acoustic complexity appear unaffected by proximity to a wind energy facility in the Nebraska Sandhills Raynor, E., Whalen, C., Brown, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Noise Birds
Automatic Detection of Humpback Whales and Localization of Sperm Whales during Marine Seismic Survey L'Her, C., Vallez, S., Gouriou, M. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Making Marine Noise Pollution Impacts Heard: The Case of Cetaceans in the North Sea within Life Cycle Impact Assessment Middel, H., Verones, F. Journal Article Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Widely used marine seismic survey air gun operations negatively impact zooplankton McCauley, R., Day, R., Swadling, K. Journal Article Noise
Using the Interim PCoD framework to assess the potential impacts of offshore wind developments in Eastern English Waters on harbour porpoises in the North Sea Booth, C., Harwood, J., Plunkett, R. Report Wind Energy Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Underwater operational noise level emitted by a tidal current turbine and its potential impact on marine fauna Lossent, J., Gervaise, C., Iorio, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Developing an essential ocean variable for the acoustic environment Tyack, P. Journal Article Noise
Onset of Barotrauma Injuries Related to Number of Pile Driving Strike Exposures in Hybrid Striped Bass Casper, B., Halvorsen, M., Carlson, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Noise Fish, Demersal Fish
Effects of hydrokinetic turbine sound on the behavior of four species of fish within an experimental mesocosm Schramm, M., Bevelhimer, M., Scherelis, C. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish
Broad-Scale Acoustic Monitoring for Cetaceans and Underwater Noise in Relation to Offshore Wind Farm Construction in Scotland Brookes, K., Edwards, E., Merchant, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Operational Noise from Tidal Turbine Arrays and the Assessment of Collision Risk with Marine Mammals Marmo, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Noise Marine Mammals
Acoustic Life Cycle Assessment of Offshore Renewables - Implications from a Wave-Energy Converter Deployment in Falmouth Bay, UK Blondel, P., Walsh, J. Journal Article Wave, Marine Energy Noise
Responses of bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises to impact and vibration piling noise during harbor construction Graham, I., Pirotta, E., Merchant, N. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Annual environmental report 2016 - Belwind Belwind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals
Behavioral Responses of a Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) to Sounds from an Acoustic Porpoise Deterrent Kastelein, R., Huybrechts, J., Covi, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) can detect auditory cues while diving Hansen, K., Maxwell, A., Siebert, U. Journal Article Noise Birds, Seabirds
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
Sound Propagation Through the Stochastic Ocean Henyey, F. Journal Article 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
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
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
ISO 18405:2017 Underwater acoustics-Terminology ISO/TC 43/SC 3 Book Marine Energy 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
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
Acoustic characterization of Mutriku OWC Plant Bald, J., Uriarte, A., Ruiz-Minguela, P. Presentation Marine Energy, Wave 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
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
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
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
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
Displaying 601 - 640 of 1273 results