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HEDoctoral network2024–2027

SEASOUNDS · Innovative marine soundscape characterization to effectively mitigate ocean and sea noise pollution

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2024-01-01 → 2027-12-31
EU contribution
€2,790,583
Participants
17
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Innovative marine soundscape characterization to effectively mitigate ocean and sea noise pollution

SEASOUNDS aims to better characterize and predict marine soundscapes in various European eco-regions (e.g., parts of the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seas, the Venice Lagoon, the Norwegian fjords) where the scarcity of scientific data, upon which decisions are based, as well as the difficulties associated with sound field monitoring, processing and understanding, make underwater noise pollution poorly known and hence insufficiently regulated. One of the main goals of the project is to provide recommendations for appropriate and proportionate underwater noise mitigation solutions, for improved know-how, decision-making and standards setting for a sustainable Blue Growth limiting the impact of noise pollution on marine wildlife. SEASOUNDS aims to have a strong impact on society also by raising awareness among the general public, and more specifically young public, on a form of pollution often underrated or overlooked. SEASOUNDS addresses important knowledge gaps related to understanding, characterization and modeling of the entire noise transfer chain, from the noise source (e.g. offshore foundation installation, disposal of unexploded ordnance, shipping) to the receiver (whether a technological tool or an animal such as marine mammal, fish and invertebrate). Highly multidisciplinary, SEASOUNDS' methodological approach is built around the idea that, to address effectively these complex scientific gaps, we need to go beyond the classical underwater acoustics-related approaches and incorporate concepts, models, and tools from various scientific fields such as underwater acoustics, seismology, mechanics, bioacoustics, ecoacoustics and marine biology. The project also takes advantage of cutting-edge technologies developed in these fields, like optical cables deployed on the seabed allowing Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) data processing techniques based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and High-Performance Computing (HPC).

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

SEASOUNDS aims to better characterize and predict marine soundscapes, in order to provide recommendations for appropriate and proportionate underwater noise mitigation solutions, for improved know-how, decision-making and standards setting for a sustainable Blue Growth limiting the impact on marine wildlife. SEASOUNDS addresses important knowledge gaps related to understanding, characterization and modeling of the entire noise transfer chain, from the noise source (e.g. offshore foundation installation, unexploded ordnance UXO disposal, shipping) to the receiver (whether a technological tool or an animal). SEASOUNDS’ methodological approach is built around the idea that, to address effectively these complex scientific questions, we need to go beyond the underwater acoustics-related approaches. Thus, SEASOUNDS incorporates concepts, models, and tools from seismology and mechanics to: (i) develop solutions based on Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology to monitor marine mammals and provide information on seabed properties; (ii) characterize the soundscape of eco-regions where noise pollution is poorly known and hence insufficiently regulated, and highlight the temporal noise dynamics marine life has to face; (iii) investigate methodology biases on noise assessment, biases being induced either by numerical models or by uncertainties in the environment properties; (iv) develop efficient physics-driven modeling of noise generation (including seabed vibrations) and propagation in shallow waters; (v) study the impact of noise and vibrations on marine invertebrates and plants; (vi) understand the link between exposures of individual animals and the overall quality of the habitat that the animals live in. SEASOUNDS will train the next generation of professionals with high multidisciplinary, inter-sectoral, and transverse skills, who will comprehend noise pollution issues in a holistic way, and hence be highly valuable for public organizations, policy makers, and stakeholders who have to take science-based decisions.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisCoordinatorFrance
  • AARHUS UNIVERSITET · Aarhus CDenmark
  • ACCOBAMS · MonacoMonaco
  • CENTRE D ETUDES ET D EXPERTISE SUR LES RISQUES L ENVIRONNEMENT LA MOBILITE ET L AMENAGEMENT · LYONFrance
  • CORNELL UNIVERSITY · IthacaUnited States
  • ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DE TECHNIQUES AVANCEES · PALAISEAUFrance
  • EQUINOR ASA · StavangerNorway
  • Fondazione WWF Italia · RomaItaly
  • NAVAL GROUP · PARISFrance
  • NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · TrondheimNorway
  • SERVICE HYDROGRAPHIQUE ET OCEANOGRAPHIQUE DE LA MARINE · BrestFrance
  • Stichting GROW · UtrechtNetherlands
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT · DelftNetherlands
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA · PadovaItaly
  • UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA · BARCELONASpain
  • UNIVERSITE COTE D'AZUR · NiceFrance
  • UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLE · MarseilleFrance

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union