In the realm of noise pollution, the focus has long been on its impact on human societies. However, the urgent need to address the consequences of anthropogenic noise on subaquatic environments is finally taking center stage in scientific research, policy-making, and public consciousness. Recognizing the growing awareness and need for more research, JPI Oceans launched a targeted joint action, funding five innovative projects that aim to understand and mitigate the impacts of underwater noise on marine ecosystems.
Addressing Underwater Noise
As human activities, spanning industrial, economic, and recreational sectors, continue to expand upon coastlines and penetrate deeper into the oceans, the levels of underwater noise are rising at alarming rates. This cacophony of sound, emitted by military sonars, offshore exploration, shipping, offshore wind farms (and potentially deep-sea mining in the near future), impacts marine animal populations and disrupts the delicate balance of biological productivity.
The adverse effects of underwater acoustic pollution on marine life are well-documented, disturbing vital marine animal behaviors such as navigation and orientation, foraging, mating, and territorial defense. Yet, our understanding of the cumulative effects of anthropogenic noise combined with other pollutants and stressors remains limited, and many aspects still elude our grasp despite an increasing number of studies. Questions persist regarding the effects on other species, population dynamics, ecological impacts, and the cumulative and synergistic interactions within marine ecosystems.
Conducting research in the marine environment presents significant challenges, leaving us with uncertainties about the extent and types of impacts on marine fauna and the overall ecosystem. Coupled with the increasing development of noise-generating industries, such uncertainty necessitates urgent action to address underwater noise as a form of pollution. Furthermore, public concern about noise pollution in the oceans is mounting, paralleled by increased attention from governmental and non-governmental organizations. This growing awareness, combined with diverse regulatory frameworks across countries, adds complexity and uncertainty to the issue. As a result, each nation implements its own rules and regulations, resulting in a patchwork of measures, some more stringent than others.
A Pioneering Effort
Recognizing the urgency and importance of addressing these knowledge gaps and mitigating underwater noise, JPI Oceans has taken a pioneering stance. By launching a joint call for research projects and implementing a joint action, JPI Oceans, in collaboration with Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, BANOS, BlueMed, NOAA, and the UN Ocean Decade, tackled this issue head-on. This joint call marked the first focused contribution and implementing activity by JPI Oceans as the Decade Implementing Partner for Europe. As a result, JPI Oceans has awarded funding to five groundbreaking projects that will contribute to understanding and mitigating the impacts of underwater noise in the marine environment.
Let's delve into these projects, which position the funding countries at the forefront of research on this emerging pan-European issue:
ORCHESTRA aims to fill knowledge gaps by conducting field studies and experiments across different basins, assessing the impact of underwater noise on key invertebrate species and communities. Through simulations of noise and warming scenarios, the project will identify areas most vulnerable to underwater noise pollution, facilitating the development of strategies to mitigate its impact on marine ecosystems.
DeuteroNoise focuses on characterizing maritime noise caused by maritime traffic in various European basins and its impact on deuterostome invertebrates. By conducting on-site noise level measurements and laboratory experiments, the project aims to understand the effects of noise pollution on the behavior, health, and resilience of marine invertebrates, enabling the prediction of sensitivities in closely related animals.
DIAPHONIA brings together scientists from diverse backgrounds to assess the impact of underwater noise on marine organisms across different trophic levels. The project seeks to develop a diagnostic framework that incorporates various tissue markers to identify functional and morphological changes caused by noise pollution. By understanding the short and long-term effects of noise exposure on fish from different European ocean basins, DIAPHONIA will advance our knowledge of noise impacts on marine mammals.
SONORA seeks to deepen our understanding of the relationship between particle motion, acoustic pressure fields, and their impact on fish populations. By characterizing anthropogenic noise generated by ocean-based industries, the project will evaluate the effects of noise variables on fish, including those in shallow waters and reverberant environments. Additionally, SONORA will study noise impacts on commercial aquaculture fish species, particularly during early developmental stages, informing risk mitigation strategies.
PURE WIND aims to understand the impact of offshore wind farms on marine ecosystems. The project will quantify the radiated noise from fixed and floating offshore wind farms and investigate the biological consequences of top predators and zooplankton behavior. By integrating knowledge of noise production, propagation, and ecological effects, PURE WIND will contribute to assessing offshore wind expansion, informing marine spatial planning, and conducting environmental impact studies.
Co-branded call on underwater noise in the marine environment. (Image credit: JPI Oceans)
JPI Oceans organized the successful kick-off meeting of its five innovative projects on February 14, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium, providing them with the opportunity to introduce themselves, cooperate, coordinate and align their activities, and discuss common challenges. The meeting also connected the different projects to an ongoing policy process, in this case, the implementation of the EU marine strategy framework directive, giving the consortia a better picture of how their scientific results can be taken up at the policy level.
Projects further had the chance to discuss synergies and complementarities and agreed to have several joint activities organized. This includes a joint database, regular meetings between coordinators, joint communication activities, and harmonization of methods for measuring and generating soundscapes.
Kick-off meeting, February 14, 2023, in Belgium. (Image credit: JPI Oceans)
These five breakthrough projects funded under the JPI Oceans framework mark a significant leap forward in addressing the issue of underwater noise in the marine environment. With their comprehensive research objectives and interdisciplinary approaches, these projects will contribute to the development of strategies for mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic noise, working towards sustainable blue growth, and the preservation of marine ecosystems.
Visit the JPI Oceans website: https://jpi-oceans.eu
This feature appeared in Environment, Coastal & Offshore (ECO) Magazine's 2023 Deep Dive II special edition Marine Environmental Research, to read more access the magazine here.
