Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament recognises underwater acoustic energy, in Descriptor 11, as a source of pollution, necessitating the monitoring and management of noise levels in the marine environment. Two methodologies are established for determining the level of underwater acoustic pollution: monitoring using hydrophones and creating sound maps.

The first method requires the long-term deployment of equipment, which involves high costs. In contrast, creating sound maps based on statistical data and simulations is a more affordable and feasible alternative for establishing noise levels in a specific maritime area.

This document examines the methodology and challenges encountered while completing a sound map in a specific shallow-water area of the Mediterranean Sea. This paper, presented in June at the Euronoise 2025 conference in Málaga, is part of the European Sonora project and is a continuation of the work presented in 2023 at Tecniacústica show in Cuenca.

Read the full paper here (in Spanish):