<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19298">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><B><FONT size=3>Underwater acoustic soundscape of the Baltic Sea being
mapped for the first time</FONT></B></DIV>
<DIV>
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<DIV><FONT size=2><B></B></FONT> </DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Finnish Environment
Institute</FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<DIV><FONT size=2>2/11/2013 </FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=427025&lan=en">http://www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=427025&lan=en</A></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>The underwater acoustic soundscape of the Baltic Sea is being mapped for the
first time, in a joint international research project of six countries.</P>
<P>‘Our objective is to measure noise induced by humans and nature alike in
different parts of the Baltic Sea and in all seasons,’ says Senior Adviser
<B>Jukka Pajala</B> from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), responsible
for the project’s implementation in Finland.</P>
<P>The study is part of efforts to determine what characteristics indicate good
environmental status for underwater acoustic soundscape.</P>
<P>'We will begin with basic mapping and drawing a soundscape map of the Baltic
Sea,' Pajala explains.</P>
<P>The international project, funded by the EU Life, is co-ordinated by the
project partner in Sweden. SYKE is responsible for the quality control of the
measurements. The other participating countries are Estonia, Denmark, Germany,
and Poland. In the project, the soundscape will be measured simultaneously at 40
points, spread across various parts of the Baltic Sea. Based on the results, a
soundscape map covering the entire Baltic Sea will be generated. The project
also aims at producing a comprehensive standardised measurement system for
monitoring underwater noise in future.</P>
<P>Of particular interest is the objective of establishing the ratio between
levels of nature- and human‑induced (natural and anthropogenic) underwater
noise. For example, shipping and underwater work, such as dredging and
explosions, generate noise.</P>
<P>A shallow sea covered by ice for part of the year, the Baltic has different
underwater acoustics than, say, the Mediterranean. Moving ice masses cause loud
noise, but so do icebreakers and other vessels moving through the ice. Because
of the shallowness of the water, some frequencies are filtered out. Unbroken ice
cover may also silence the underwater acoustic soundscape, but research data on
this phenomenon remain scarce. </P>
<P>Wind and waves too create natural sounds, which is carried underwater. Storms
can be so loud that they mask the noise caused by the engine of a vessel
travelling on the surface. On the other hand, vessels increase their engine
power and thus cause more noise during stormy weather and in ice.</P>
<H3>Water is a fast carrier of sound</H3>
<P>Water carries sound four times more rapidly than air does – and sound
propagates even more quickly in ice. For example, the stretch of sea between
Helsinki and Tallinn is practically one continuous acoustic field: sound crosses
it in 30 seconds.</P>
<P>How does noise feel and sound in water? It can be felt as pressure and
movement of particles, which fish and marine mammals are able to sense.</P>
<P>‘This project will not study the effects of sound on the marine life in the
Baltic Sea, but these can be assessed on the basis of earlier findings. It
should be essential to understand that human-generated underwater noise is a
harmful emission and its levels must be managed,’ says Pajala.</P>
<P>The BIAS (Baltic Sea Information on the Acoustic Soundscape) Project was
launched at the end of 2012 and will continue until 2016, with a budget of
approximately 4.6 million euros, of which SYKE will provide about 0.5 million
euros over the four-year term of the project.</P>
<H4>More information</H4>
<P>Jukka Pajala<BR>Senior Adviser<BR>Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment
Institute (SYKE)<BR>Tel.: +358 400 920 922<BR>E-mail address format: <A
href="mailto:firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi&lan=en">firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi</A></P>
<P>Aira Saloniemi<BR>Chief Editor for Web Services<BR>SYKE Communications,
Baltic Sea<BR>Tel.: +358 400 148 875<BR>E-mail address format: <A
href="mailto:firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi&lan=en">firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi</A></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>