Anthropogenic noise is now recognised as a significant pollutant in the marine environment and there is a growing interest from the scientific community, policy makers and the general public in the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine life. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) has developed criteria under Descriptor 11 Noise to define, identify and quantify anthropogenic sound sources, encompassing both low- and mid-frequency impulsive sound (Indicator 11.1.1) and low-frequency continuous sound (Indicator 11.2.1). This report is part of a project on the assessment and monitoring of ocean noise in Irish waters, addressing both Indicators, and is a key delivery on behalf of Ireland meeting obligations under the MSFD. Indicator 11.1.1 addresses noise sources from from seismic surveys, sonar, piledriving, acoustic deterrents and the use of explosives. Seismic surveying is the primary technique used in the search for oil and natural gas reserves and is a major sound source of concern when assessing low- and midfrequency impulsive sound in Irish waters. This report has highlighted specific geographical areas with a greater frequency of seismic exploration and additionally highlighted specific geographical areas that have been surveyed using the larger volume arrays. This report was completed as part of a research project (2011-W-MS-6) undertaken by Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), which was funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007-2013 and by the Irish Government on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

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Beck, S. O'Brien, J.   "Assessment and Monitoring of Ocean Noise in Irish Waters". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=5560e69f-016e-11e2-add7-005056ae0019 (Last Accessed: 2024-12-13)

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SAFER-Data Display URL	https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=284
Resource Keywords	Ocean Noise, Seismic survey, Irish waters, Anthropogenic noise
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code	2011-W-MS-6
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Theme	Environmental Technologies
Resource Availability:	Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this Resource	Any attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download):	2
Project Start Date	Saturday 1st January 2011 (01-01-2011)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Saturday 1st January 2000 (01-01-2000)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Thursday 1st December 2011 (01-12-2011)
Published on SAFER	Tuesday 18th September 2012 (18-09-2012)
Date of Last Edit	Thursday 6th February 2014 at 10:33:32 (06-02-2014)
Datasets or Files Updated On	Monday 22nd October 2012 at 10:16:51 (22-10-2012)

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Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
To investigate the development of seismic survey equipment and techniques, surveys conducted from 2000 to 2011 in Irish waters were categorised based on the volume of the air-gun array (cubic inches), which is be used here as a proxy for sound source level. Noise maps were generated through the ArcGIS mapping software for each year; where more than one survey covered a cell block, the mean volume of the Between the years 2000 and 2011, a total of 44 seismic surveys were conducted in waters under Irish jurisdiction. Of these, 25 surveys were 2D and 19 were 3D. The duration of 2D surveys during this time ranged from 1 day to 51 days, with an average duration of 18 days.

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