2023_programme: Underwater noise risk assessment and mitigation measure in high ecological value area of the Mediterranean Sea.

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  • Session: 20. Underwater noise in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive: monitoring and impacts on marine ecosystems
    Organiser(s): Jakob Tougaard, Aristides Prospathopoulos and Emmanuel Skarsoulis
  • Lecture: Underwater noise risk assessment and mitigation measure in high ecological value area of the Mediterranean Sea. [invited]
    Paper ID: 1873
    Author(s): Ceyrac Laura, Dellong David, Le Courtois Florent, Lajaunie Myriam
    Presenter: Ceyrac Laura
    Abstract: Underwater noise pollution is assessed by European Member States descriptor 11 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) in order to determine the Good Environmental Status for noise in their waters. To this end, recommendations on threshold options have been proposed by the Technical Group on underwater Noise (TG Noise) for both continuous and impulsive noises. The threshold-based methodology developed aims at evaluating noise through different components: the noise level but also the temporal and spatial extent. This is referred to as the Tolerable Impacted Area over the assessment period, depending on the Level of Onset of Biologically Adverse Effects (LOBE) defined for a target species of interest. In the event of thresholds exceedance, management and mitigation measures should be applied.\nIn this context, a case study is investigated to assess the risk of underwater noise pollution related to shipping traffic and the effectiveness of vessel speed reduction as a mitigation measure in an area of high ecological interest.\nThe proposed methodology is based on the modelling of marine traffic underwater noise through modelled noise maps and predictive habitat models, allowing to assess the impact of noise on target species. The sensitivity of the risk assessment towards to the mitigation measures applied is also investigated, with respect to the thresholds recommended by TG Noise, through a probabilistic approach. This approach is applied to an area of high ecological interest for large cetaceans in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Finally, the mitigation measure applied is the reduction of ship speed, through a traffic limitation model.
  • Corresponding author: Ms LAURA CEYRAC
    Affiliation: Hydrographic and Oceanographic Services for French Marine Defense - SHOM
    Country: France
    e-mail:

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