Studying the soundscape of shallow and heavy used marine areas: Belgian Part of the North Sea
Parcerisas, C.; Botteldooren, D.; Devos, P.; Hamard, Q.; Debusschere, E. (2023). Studying the soundscape of shallow and heavy used marine areas: Belgian Part of the North Sea, in: Popper, A.N. et al.The effects of noise on aquatic life: Principles and practical considerations. pp. 1-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_122-1
In: Popper, A.N. et al. (2023). The effects of noise on aquatic life: Principles and practical considerations. Springer: Cham. XX, 500 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6
The impact of anthropogenic sound on marine fauna is a growing concern, particularly in shallow, coastal, and heavily exploited marine areas such as the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS). Understanding the ecosystem and its limits in these areas is necessary to protect these areas and ensure their sustainable use. To quantify this impact, characterizing and analyzing the soundscape is crucial. However, analyzing soundscapes in shallow and heavily exploited marine areas poses several challenges and particularities. Bio-fouling, flow-noise, unknown sound sources, and masking compromise propagation. This chapter provides an overview of the soundscape in the BPNS and the inherent challenges to measure and analyze it. Some of the challenges are exemplified using data collected in the framework of the LifeWatch Broadband Acoustic Network.
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