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Consolidating Measures to
Address Underwater Radiated
Noise from Shipping
This policy brief underscores the urgency of consolidating efforts to
standardise underwater noise measurement and management under the
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) agenda. Harmonisation of
practices is essential for effective mitigation of shipping noise impacts on
marine ecosystems, enabling sustainable maritime development.
SATURN is an EU-funded
research project examining
solutions to underwater radiated
noise from shipping and other
vessels.
www.SaturnH2020.eu
Summary:
POLICY BRIEF
Recommendations:
CITATION: Kopke K, Ainslie MA,
de Jong CAF, Power OP, Heising
T, 2025. SATURN Policy Brief
2: Consolidating Measures to
address Underwater Radiated
Noise from Shipping. European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research
programme under grant
agreement No.101006443
- Establish unified methodologies for measuring and mapping underwater noise,
aligning with MSFD Descriptor 11, Criterion 2 (D11C2).
- Finalise and promote the use of ISO 7605 for ambient noise measurement.
- Finalise and promote the use of ISO 17208-3 for Underwater Radiated Noise
(URN) measurement from shipping in shallow water.
SATURN facilitated a pathway to harmonised terminology and metrics by developing
a comprehensive SATURN Acoustical Terminology Standard, which is a precursor
to ISO 23990 for bioacoustical terminology. Contributions to ISO 17208-3 (shallow
water vessel URN measurement) align with efforts to unify methodologies.
Recommendations from SATURN work on harmonised metrics and test signals
facilitate the standardisation of vessel signatures for bioacoustics research.
2. Clarify and Define Key Concepts:
- Provide a clear definition for “Level of Onset of Biologically Adverse Effects”
(LOBE) to facilitate harmonised assessments of Good Environmental Status
(GES) across EU regions.
- Develop and adopt consistent “Temporal Observation Window” (TOW) and
“Spatial Observation Window” (SOW).
The SATURN Acoustical Terminology Standard establishes distinctions between
sound field and source properties and offers guidance for bioacoustical
terminology. TOW and SOW guidance is supported by SATURN’s contribution to
defining suitable metrics and windows for underwater noise assessment.
1. Adopt Harmonised Metrics and Standards:
MSFD D Under the Marine
Strategy Framework Directive,
there are two criteria for
reaching Good Environmental
Status (GES) related to
Descriptor D Energy
Including Underwater Noise
DC refers to anthropogenic
impulsive sound in water
DC refers to anthropogenic
continuous low-frequency sound
in water.
TG NOISE: The Technical Group
on Underwater Noise helps to
coordinate the implementation
of Descriptor 11 of the MSFD.
SATURN POLICY BRIEF P
•
Context:
The MSFD includes two criteria, D11C1 and D11C2, for D11 to achieve or maintain
GES. This policy brief focuses exclusively on D11C2.
D11C2 refers to anthropogenic continuous low-frequency underwater
sound, assessing its spatial distribution, temporal extent, and levels. Effective
management under D11C2 requires standardised metrics and methodologies.
The EU has funded innovative research projects enabling the development
of underwater sound maps across Europe. However, the lack of international
standards and harmonised metrics has hindered meaningful quantitative
comparisons and inter-regional assessments.
To address these issues and unlock further innovation, harmonised metrics,
standards, and agreed terminology are needed.
The ISO 7605 standard for underwater ambient sound, currently in development,
will partially address the MSFD requirements. Beyond this, harmonised methods
for verifying and validating sound maps are essential. Consolidating these
efforts is critical to standardising practices and advancing future research and
meaningful adoption and implementation of relevant research.
3. Develop Sound Mapping Protocols:
- Promote development of standardised verification and validation techniques
for sound maps using model predictions validated by measurements, leveraging
projects like NAVISON and JOMOPANS.
SATURN developed methodologies for sound particle motion mapping and
produced Guidelines for Sound Particle Motion Mapping.
4. Encourage Regional and International Cooperation:
- Support ongoing work on the development of bioacoustical terminology (ISO
23990).
- Foster collaboration among Member States to support EU-wide harmonisation
of metrics for LOBE, ensuring comparability and compliance with the MSFD.
SATURN actively collaborated with ISO working groups (e.g., TC 43/SC 3/WG 1,
WG 6) to advance standards and harmonisation efforts. The project’s work on
developing shallow water standards (ISO 17208-3) incorporated international
feedback and testing results.
5. Integrate Innovation with Consolidation:
- Transition from research-driven innovations to standardised practices, creating a
robust foundation for future advancements in underwater noise mitigation.
SATURN emphasises consolidating innovative methodologies into standard
practices. This is evident in its contribution to standards like ISO 7605 and
17208-3. Recommendations in SATURN WP2 Final Report stress the importance of
consolidating terminologies and methodologies for future innovation.
SATURN POLICY BRIEF P
•
Strategic Path Forward:
SATURN’s contributions towards consolidation span terminology harmonisation,
measurement methodology, sound mapping development, and international
cooperation, directly supporting the recommendations and strategic goals for
underwater noise management under the MSFD. The project’s work on ISO standards
and collaborative efforts ensures alignment with and advancement of harmonised
noise management practices across Europe.
1. Finalise and Implement Standards: Support the development of ISO
23990, covering bioacoustical terminology, respectively. Encourage Member
States to adopt ISO 7605, ISO 17208-3 and (once published) ISO 23990 in
their noise monitoring programs. SATURN’s work deliverables on Vessel
URN Measurements and Full-Scale URN Measurement Uncertainties and
Measurement Alternatives, directly support ISO 17208-3 and ISO 7605
development.
2. Harmonise Regional Approaches: Collaborate at regional levels to establish
unified metrics for LOBE and standardised assessment periods, e.g., adopting
monthly averages for temporal analysis. SATURN’s work supports developing
EU-wide consensus on URN measurement, terminology, and sound mapping
protocols.
Level of Onset of Biologically adverse Effects (LOBE):
LOBE identifies the noise level at which biological effects begin to manifest in
marine species. Establishing and harmonising definitions for LOBE is crucial for
assessing noise impact under D11C2.
Temporal Observation Window (TOW):
The Temporal Observation Window defines the period over which underwater
noise levels are measured or averaged. For example:
- In airborne noise monitoring under the Environmental Noise Directive, key
indicators (Lden and Lnight) are averaged over a year to capture long-term
trends.
- For underwater noise, the duration of the TOW is not standardised, leading to
variability in assessment outcomes. Shorter TOWs (e.g., daily or monthly) may
be more suitable for capturing the mobility and seasonal behaviours of marine
species, as recommended by TG Noise (2023).
Spatial Observation Window (SOW):
The Spatial Observation Window specifies the area or volume over which noise
levels are averaged. Key considerations include:
-Vertical averaging: Underwater noise levels vary with depth due to attenuation
and reflection, necessitating depth-averaged calculations to provide consistent
results.
-Horizontal averaging: Noise metrics are often averaged over latitude and
longitude grids to facilitate regional assessments. Harmonisation of SOW is
crucial for creating meaningful sound maps that accurately reflect the spatial
extent of noise impacts.
is a prerequisite for the
harmonisation of D11C2
assessments across Europe.
An essential parameter or metric
to be determined is the duration
of the TOW.
Harmonisation of TOW & SOW
SATURN is producing policy
briefs to transfer technical and
scientific knowledge, findings
and outputs to policy and
decision makers. Subscribe to
our newsletter to hear when new
policy briefs are available:
SATURN POLICY BRIEF P
•
Link to reports on Cordis
Ainslie MA, Bruliard FA, de Jong CAF, Díaz JA, Folegot T, Ghasemi M, Halvorsen
MB, Slabbekoorn H, Tougaard J, van der Schaar M, 2023. SATURN Deliverable
2.3: SATURN Acoustical Terminology Standard. European Union’s Horizon 2020
research programme under grant agreement No.101006443.
Ainslie MA, de Jong CAF, Yubero R, Halvorsen MB, van der Schaar M, 2024. SATURN
Deliverable D2.4: WP2 Final Report. European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
programme under grant agreement No.101006443.
Bruliard FA, Moseby I, Ghasemi M, Yubero R, Gjestland T, 2024. SATURN
Deliverable D2.5: Full-scale URN measurement uncertainties and measurement
alternatives. European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme under grant
agreement No.101006443.
de Jong CAF, Binnerts B, Gaida T, Jansen E, Ainslie MA, Wood M, 2024.
SATURN Deliverable D2.2: Guidelines for sound particle motion mapping.
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme under grant agreement
No.101006443.
Dozier A, Kopke K, Ainslie MA, de Jong CAF, Halvorsen MB, 2023. SATURN
Policy Brief 1: On the Need for Standardized Bioacoustical Terminology.
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme under grant agreement
No.101006443.
Yubero R, Ghasemi M, Solheim Pettersen Ø, 2023. SATURN Deliverable D2.1: Final
Report on Vessel URN Measurement. European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
programme under grant agreement No.101006443.
References:
saturnproject.substack.com/
3. Promote Sound Mapping Integration: Advocate for the use of cost-effective
modelling techniques for large-scale sound maps, validated by targeted
measurement campaigns. SATURN recommends sound maps for MSFD
Descriptor D11C2, emphasising model predictions validated through targeted
measurements. Support development of standards for verifying and validating
sound maps. The project aligns with TG Noise’s advocacy for consistent mapping
methodologies.
4. Strengthen Policy Frameworks: Develop EU-wide policy guidance to ensure
Member States align their methodologies with international standards, fostering
cross-border consistency and efficiency. SATURN recommends leveraging ISO
standards (e.g., ISO 7605, ISO 17208-3) as a basis for MSFD-aligned EU policy
guidance.
5. Incorporate Continuous Innovation: Balance innovation and consolidation by
embedding new findings into the standardised practices, ensuring dynamic yet
stable progress in noise management. SATURN stresses balancing innovation
with consolidation by embedding research findings into standards like ISO 17208-
3 and ISO 7605, ensuring iterative progress in underwater noise mitigation.
SATURN is an EU-funded
research project examining
solutions to underwater radiated
noise from shipping and other
vessels.
www.SaturnH2020.eu