The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has published the NAVISON (NAVIs SONus) report to provide a pan-European overview of historical and future underwater noise data for all European seas.
The report uses a unified methodology to map underwater noise levels across European seas, enabling direct comparisons between regions, types of vessels, and different time periods, including forecasts. Underwater noise from ships is recognised as a stress factor for marine life, particularly for cetaceans like whales and dolphins, who use sound to communicate with each other. It can harm marine biodiversity and cause behavioural changes in animals.
Areas that currently have the highest sound pressure level (SPL):
- English Channel
- Strait of Gibraltar
- Adriatic Sea
- Dardanelles Strait
- Parts of the Baltic Sea
Lower noise levels recorded in:
- Northwest part of the northeast Atlantic Ocean
- Southern Mediterranean Sea
- Eastern Black Sea
Additionally, NAVISON also uses forecast sound maps to predict the future impact of maritime technology and operational measures on the mitigation of underwater noise caused by shipping for 2023, 2040, and 2050, under four different scenarios.