ABPmer has been contracted by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to create a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tool that generates data to map the distribution of man-made continuous underwater noise in the south marine plan areas.
The outputs of the tool will improve the MMO’s understanding of underwater noise. They may also inform marine planning and decision making processes.
Elena San Martin, EIA and underwater noise specialist at ABPmer said: “The marine environment experiences noise from both natural and man-made sources. Over the past decade, there has been a growing recognition of the potential harm of man-made underwater noise.
“Although challenging to develop, the maps will assist in the creation of sustainable development policies in the south marine plan areas.”
Image: ABPmer