Irish Marine Acoustics Programme (IMAP)

Project Description

Ambitious offshore power generation policies that support de-carbonisation of Ireland’s energy system are driving a major expansion in the offshore wind sector to achieve targets of 7GW by 2030 and 37GW by 2050. However, many of the offshore operations associated with these large-scale developments will have the potential to negatively affect marine ecosystems by generating underwater noise pollution. This underwater radiated noise (URN) poses a risk to sensitive species, and can impact the behaviour, physiology and survival fitness of animals that are affected. To quantify the level of additional underwater noise that will be introduced, we first need to create a reliable picture of what the background or ambient levels of underwater sound are like under “normal” conditions (i.e. in the absence of development related operations at sea). This project will undertake a programme of acoustic monitoring using hydrophones at strategic locations around the coast. These will accurately and continuously record underwater sound over several years and provide a reliable record of how sound levels (loudness) vary over time across the range of frequencies (pitch) that are relevant for marine life. End-users of the technical results of these recordings will be able to access and work with the data through an advanced online research portal, and findings of a broader national, sectoral and societal interest will be disseminated widely.