Demonstrating the Feasibility of Near-Real-Time Vessel Noise Mapping to Manage Marine Mammal Noise Impacts

Man-made ocean noise can cause physical injury and behavioral disturbance to marine life. It hampers marine mammals’ use of sound for foraging, communicating, navigating, socializing, and mating. Advancements in acoustic recorders, ocean observatories, vessel tracking, and noise modelling allow us to study and manage the effects of vessel noise on marine life. This paper discusses a study for the Canadian Space Agency to investigate the feasibility of a user-controlled web interface that provides near-real-time prediction of vessel noise in marine life habitats. ‘ ShipNoiseView ’ integrates live vessel position data from the Satellite-Automatic Identification System (S-AIS) with real-time remote sensing of oceanographic data and verified vessel noise propagation models to assess cumulative vessel sound levels and to manage the effect of noise on marine life through real-time monitoring and mitigation