Investigating noise levels produced from sub-bottom profiling in UK waters.

Tender description

Increases in offshore wind deployment are needed to meet the government’s target of delivering up to 50GW by 2030, as set out in the British Energy Security Strategy. However, construction of these developments has the potential to harm the marine environment. The UK government is committed to ensuring that this acceleration of offshore wind can be delivered in a way that continues to protect and enhance our marine environment A key area of concern is underwater noise. Marine mammals are sensitive to anthropogenic sound sources, which have the potential to kill, injure or disturb without appropriate mitigation. Sub-bottom profilers (SBPs) or high-resolution geophysical surveys are used widely in the oil and gas industries and increasingly in the offshore renewables and cables sectors to characterise and assess the seafloor. In contrast to seismic surveys and other similar equipment where the effect on marine mammals is relatively well understood, the possible short- and long- term effects of SBPs are poorly studied. Characterisation of the sound produced by SBPs and how it is propagated in different environments in UK waters will increase understanding of how this survey type may impact marine mammals, reducing uncertainty in the consenting process and informing effective and proportionate mitigation measures.