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Blog: EMEC publishes guidance notes on underwater acoustic monitoring
Posted by EMEC on Wednesday, March 12, 2014
In April 2013, EMEC facilitated an underwater acoustics workshop aimed at regulators of marine renewable energy activities and their statutory environmental advisors. The driver for the workshop was the need for a greater appreciation amongst regulators of the key aspects of underwater acoustic data gathering. Specifically:
- What should be measured;
- How should measurement be undertaken;
- Common pitfalls to avoid; and
- What to look for in an underwater acoustic data gathering and analysis report.
Whilst other recent reports have focused on reviewing available data, metrics and available equipment (Robinson, S.P and Lepper, P.A. “Scoping study: Review of current knowledge of underwater noise emissions from wave and tidal stream energy devices”. The Crown Estate, 2013 and other work funded by Marine Scotland and The Crown Estate currently in preparation), this document provides a high level guidance on the practicalities, recommendations and assessment of underwater acoustic measurement activities from a regulator’s perspective. It aims to enable regulators to have informed discussions with developers of marine energy converter systems from the initial scoping stages, and to aid their assessment of monitoring activities.
The report is available to download below, and can be found in the Research section of the EMEC website under National Projects.
In April 2013 EMEC facilitated an underwater acoustics workshop aimed at regulators of marine renewable energy activities and their statutory environmental advisors. The driver for the workshop was the need for a greater appreciation amongst regulators of the key aspects of underwater acoustic data gathering. Specifically: what should be measured; how should measurement be undertaken; common pitfalls to avoid; and what to look for in an underwater acoustic data gathering and analysis report.
Whilst other recent reports have focused on reviewing available data, metrics and available equipment (Robinson, S.P and Lepper, P.A. “Scoping study: Review of current knowledge of underwater noise emissions from wave and tidal stream energy devices”. The Crown Estate, 2013, and "Good Practice Guide for Underwater Noise Measurement", National Measurement Office, Marine Scotland, The Crown Estate, Robinson, S.P., Lepper, P. A. and Hazelwood, R.A., NPL Good Practice Guide No. 133, ISSN: 1368-6550, 2014.), this document provides a high level guidance on the practicalities, recommendations and assessment of underwater acoustic measurement activities from a regulators’ perspective. It aims to enable regulators to have informed discussions with developers of marine energy converter systems from the initial scoping stages, and to aid their assessment of monitoring activities.
