Anthropogenic noise is a growing threat to marine life due to the increment of human activity in the marine environment. In Europe, the Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council was published with the aim of establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy.
The directive introduces underwater acoustic energy, as detailed in Descriptor 11, as a polluting source, which makes it necessary to monitor and follow the acoustic levels in the maritime environment. Two methodologies are established to determine the level of underwater pollution; monitoring through the deployment of hydrophones and the elaboration of landscapes or sound maps.
The first method requires a long-term deployment, which implies a high cost, so the elaboration of sound maps is a real alternative to establish the noise levels in a given maritime area. This paper presents the requirements and processes needed for the elaboration of soundscapes in the context of the Project: Filling the gap: Thresholds assessment and impact beyond acoustic pressure level linked to emerging blue-growth activities (SONORA) reference PCI2022-135081-2.
Read the full paper here (in Spanish):