IBM takes lead in ocean sound standards

As evidence mounts of noise pollution stressing whales and other cetaceans, IBM is hoping to develop world standards for minimum subsea noise. IBM Research & Development Ireland is currently looking at the impact of new wave and tidal energy systems on Ireland’s protected whales and dolphins.

Working in Galway Bay with the Marine Institute and Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI), they are doing a real-time analysis of how underwater noise affects marine mammals which navigate using echo-location.

New evidence has emerged of how shipping propeller noise and other artificial sub-sea activity stresses whales. Marine researchers have been able to compare hormone stress levels in whales in the immediate post 9/11 period, when shipping levels were reduced, with normal shipping traffic. An estimated 50,000 ships ply the oceans at any given time.

Hormone levels in northern right whales, one of the most endangered of whale species, were markedly reduced when noise caused by propellers, military sonar and explosions was lessened, researchers at the New England Aquarium in Boston found. The research was published in February, 2012.

Not only do whales adapt to noise by changing the frequency of their calls, but their stress levels rise unacceptably as world shipping traffic levels increase steadily. High stress levels lead to early death and poor reproduction rates.

Environmentalists are suing the US government over its navy's use of sonar in an effort to draw attention to the issue.

Meanwhile, Dr Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, said there was strong evidence that noise pollution caused by pile driving for offshore wind turbines impacted on harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins. There was also a potential issue with marine mammals colliding with tidal turbines and displacement by structures in the water.

“The IWDG are involved in a number of wave energy projects and the marine mammal research and conservation communities need to be involved in dialogue and research with developers to ensure there is no long-term impact on protected species.”

Prof J Owen Lewis of the SEAI said the project was part of Ireland’s commitment to developing sustainable energy resources.”

Wave power could be a huge green energy industry for Ireland which had one of highest concentrations of wave energy in the world. There was “a significant opportunity to expand its renewable energy portfolio and develop new industry capabilities”, he said.

The project is the first of its type, involves the monitoring of underwater noise generated by wind energy conversion devices, using real-time streaming software developed by IBM.

“In 2010, Ireland imported approximately 86% of its energy, the vast majority of which was fossil fuels, and the European Renewables Directive has set a target for Ireland to source 16% of its energy from renewable resources by 2020,” said IBM vice president of Industries Research Katharine Frase.

No global standards for the noise impact of wave energy devices currently exist and the findings are expected to benefit marine environmental agencies as well as industries involved in renewable energy, and shipping, and offshore oil and gas companies.

“Underwater noise is a global environmental issue that has to be addressed if we are to take advantage of the huge potential of ocean energy,” European Union Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has commented.

The project will feed into the wave energy grid system being developed by SEAI Ireland, where wave energy devices are being tested for their generating reliability in all weather conditions. The purpose of the wave energy test site at Belmullet is to provide a location for the temporary mooring and deployment of wave energy machines so that their performance in generating electricity and their survivability can be tested and demonstrated in open ocean conditions. It is proposed for the site to operate for up to 15 years with devices on site intermittently throughout the year.