As Ireland accelerates its offshore renewable energy ambitions an initiative is under way to safeguard marine ecosystems from underwater noise pollution, a growing global environmental concern.
The Irish Marine Acoustics Platform (IMAP) research project will establish Ireland’s first systematic underwater acoustic monitoring programme. This noise monitoring programme will help to protect marine life by identifying, managing and mitigating the underwater radiated noise (URN) pollution which may occur during the building of offshore wind farms.
Launched in April of this year, the project will run until December 2028 and is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Marine Institute (MI) with the MaREI Centre in University College Cork (UCC) and Wind Energy Ireland as project partners.
Use of hydrophones
The project will record annual and seasonal variations in ambient sound levels throughout Irish coastal waters using hydrophones. These devices will be strategically placed around the entire Irish coastline, in line with proposed locations for offshore developments.
Using advanced analytics, modelling and data infrastructure, the programme will enable offshore developers to ensure an appropriate balance is met between the need to develop renewable energy and the need to conserve our marine biodiversity.
On conclusion of the research project, the data collected will be used to establish an underwater noise baseline to be used to determine future project viability. The IMAP project will also create expertise in a growing research area and provide the necessary underwater equipment to continue future exploration.
Gerry Sutton, IMAP project lead at University College Cork, said: "This acoustic baseline project will help ensure Ireland’s green energy transition doesn’t come at the cost of our marine ecosystems. It is a critical step towards responsible development and will help to ensure that Ireland’s offshore expansion proceeds sustainably, minimising ecological risks while cutting the carbon emissions which put marine life in danger.”
Kerrie Sheehan, head of research, Innovation and Electricity at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, added: “SEAI is pleased to support this project, which aligns with Ireland’s ambitious goals for expanding the offshore wind sector to meet government targets for 2030 and 2050.
“Co-funded by the Marine Institute, the project will investigate the potential impacts of underwater noise pollution from offshore infrastructure on marine ecosystems. The data collected, along with an online research portal, will serve as a vital resource for informed decision-making during the planning stages of offshore developments.
“This initiative will help safeguard marine life while accelerating Ireland’s transition to clean energy.”
Further information on the project can be found at https://info.windenergyireland.com/en-ie/imap