Contribution
Underwater noise from ultrasound biofouling prevention and potential environmental impacts
* Presenting author
Abstract:
In an effort to reduce the release of toxins into the marine environment, non-biocidal solutions are being sought to prevent biofouling on ships. A new technology currently being commercialized offers a solution to this problem by inducing high-frequency structural vibrations into the hull or components exposed to seawater, preventing the attachment of fouling organisms. Along with the vibration, there is also a considerable amount of high frequency sound emitted into the water column. Several marine mammals are known to be sensitive to high-frequency noise, which raises the question of whether the additional ultrasound emitted by the systems could pose an environmental problem. This is even more so if the technology is introduced on a large scale and on larger vessels. Here, we outline a modelling approach to assess the environmental risk of antifouling ultrasound emissions by setting up source and propagation models for an exemplary case. The resulting modelling approach is further validated against measurements, and potential impacts on marine mammals of different hearing groups are estimated.