Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/Z503691/1
Glider-based Acoustic Monitoring of Ocean Sound
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr D Risch, Scottish Association For Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor J Bull, University of Southampton, Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
- Science Area:
- None
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- None
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- Ocean noise levels have increased substantially over the past 50 years. Shipping, resource exploitation and offshore construction increasingly dominate ocean soundscapes. At the same time, sounds of biological origin are reducing due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Climate change is affecting natural sounds, for example due to changing ice conditions in polar regions. Existing evidence shows that noise affects marine animal behaviour, physiology and can have direct impacts on their survival. Ocean sound thus plays a central role in the health of ocean ecosystems, and it is important for offshore industries and regulators to know whether and where it is increasing or decreasing. Finally, ocean sound measurements can also be used for quantification of wind speed, the observation of air-sea interactions and to study extreme weather events. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a transdisciplinary approach to monitoring ocean sound, including anthropogenic activities, biological sounds, and physical processes. However, long-term observations of ocean soundscapes are hampered by the high costs of ship-based instrument deployments in remote marine regions. Autonomous ocean gliders provide a solution to this problem, as they can cover large spatial scales and depth ranges at reduced economic and environmental costs. Ocean gliders are ideal for PAM applications. They glide quietly without propulsion noise, and they can carry one or several hydrophones, offering multiple acoustic monitoring possibilities, including near real-time detection and localisation of protected species. Further, gliders collect environmental data, such as temperature and salinity, which allow estimates of the sound speed profile, important for sound propagation modelling. These variables also provide context for species distribution and habitat models. The 10 standalone acoustic recording units which will be integrated in the UK ocean glider fleet will provide a step-change in the UK's national capability in ocean monitoring. This new capability will build capacity within the wider UK research community to enable dedicated or opportunistic PAM observations within ongoing glider-based ocean observation programmes, such as CLASS and AtlantiS, and facilitate new ocean sound focussed research in UK waters and global oceans. Cross-institute access to PAM equipment integrated in the UK glider fleet presents an overdue, next step towards building a more comprehensive approach to global ocean observations. Obtaining this national capability is particularly timely, as ocean sound has recently been recognised as an Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Studying this EOV will advance our understanding of physical ocean processes, how different anthropogenic sources affect ocean ambient sound, the effects sound has on marine life, and how acoustics can be used to assess biodiversity and ecosystem health. Such knowledge is essential for mitigating human impacts and protecting ocean environments and associated ecosystems. The required infrastructure and logistics to undertake glider-based PAM are already in place at the Marine Autonomous and Robotics Systems (MARS) facility at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), where the equipment will be based. The acquisition of integrated acoustic equipment for ocean gliders will establish new and strengthen existing science collaborations and provide a long-term data resource for scientists, policymakers, offshore industries, and their regulators.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/Z503691/1
- Grant Stage:
- Awaiting Start Confirmation
- Scheme:
- Research Grants
- Grant Status:
- Accepted
- Programme:
- Capital Call
This grant award has a total value of £354,320
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Exception - Equipment |
|---|
| £354,321 |
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