Short Course on Ocean Acoustics and the Effects of Sound on Marine Wildlife

Course approach for up to 30 students

Day 1

Module 1

Fundamentals of acoustics, pressure, intensity, power, energy, decibels, measurement reference units, conversions between units     and media.

Module 2

Sound in air and water, propagation, sonar equation, source level, receive level, geometrical spreading, absorption.

Module 3

Characteristics of sound sources, such as seismic, airguns, boomers, sparkers, chirp sub-bottom profilers, explosives, pile driving, drilling, dredging, multibeam sonars, active acoustic sources, offshore wind turbine and ships.

Module 4

Ambient noise in the ocean, noise budget, shipping, wind, rain.

Day 2

Module 5

Fundamentals of hearing in mammals in air and water.

Module 6

Acoustic effects on hearing, permanent and temporary threshold shifts, physiological impacts on marine mammals, fish and invertebrates, animal behavior, masking, ecosystem effects of prolonged exposure to sound sources.

Module 7

Existing NMFS criteria, advantages and shortcomings, new acoustic criteria for marine mammals (Southall et al.), implications.

Module 8

Impacts to marine life from various regulated sources, data gaps and priorities for research.