2016 SoE Marine Chapter - Pressures - Anthropogenic noise

Brief description

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "Pressures on the marine environment associated with anthropogenic noise". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record. ---------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE The main anthropogenic activities producing high levels of noise are seismic surveys of sub bottom strata (usually air gun arrays), sonars (military, scientific surveying, echo sounders), explosions (associated with military exercises and port construction), pile driving (wharf construction, offshore platforms), vessels (particularly dynamically positioned vessels), dredging and drill rig activities. Seismic surveys to date have been concentrated in the main oil and gas regions of the north west shelf and Bass Strait, military sonar concentrated in maritime exercise areas such as Sydney and Perth, dynamically positioned vessels are associated with offshore facilities and pile driving in port development areas such as the north west and north east. DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT National oil and gas facility, seismic survey and shipping data, published papers and reports on exposure experiments and sound modelling. ---------------------------------------- 2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details] • 2016 • Assessment grade: Low-High impact Assessment trend: Unclear Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus Comparability: Not previously assessed ---------------------------------------- CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT Noise as a pressure on the marine environment was not assessed in 2011.

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Statement: QUALITY OF DATA USED IN THE ASSESSMENT Data has been quality controlled and is the best currently available, publications have been peer-reviewed.

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Purpose
To describe the pressures on the marine environment associated with anthropogenic noise for use in the Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment report.