Modeling the acoustic noise from a wave energy converter farm and its impact on marine mammals at the PacWave South site, offshore Newport Oregon. (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Harding, Jennifer L.; Preston, Leiph A.; Johnson, Erick; Roberts, Jesse D.; Jones, Craig A.; Raghukumar, Kaus; Hafla, Erin
• Is Part Of: Renewable energy. Volume 209(2023)
• Page Start: 677
• Page End: 688
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: Hydroacoustic modeling -- Marine mammal impact -- Wave energy converters -- Acoustic impact metrics -- Effective signal level; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.04.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1481

Abstract

Abstract: Marine hydrokinetic devices, such as wave energy converters (WECs), can unlock untapped energy from the ocean's currents and waves. Acoustic impact assessments are required to ensure that the noise these devices generate will not negatively impact marine life, and accurate modeling of noise provides an a priori means to viably perform this assessment. We present a case study of the PacWave South site, a WEC testing site off the coast of Newport, Oregon, demonstrating the use of ParAcousti, an open-source hydroacoustic propagator tool, to model noise from an array of 28 WECs in a 3-dimensional (3-D) realistic marine environment. Sound pressure levels are computed from the modeled 3-D grid of pressure over time, which we use to predict marine mammal acoustic impact metrics (AIMs). We combine two AIMs, signal to noise ratio and sensation level, into a new metric, the effective signal level (ESL), which is a function of propagated sound, background noise levels, and hearing thresholds for marine species and is evaluated across 1/3 octave frequency intervals. The ESL model can be used to predict and quantify the potential impact of an anthropogenic signal on the health and behavior of a marine mammal species throughout the 3-D simulation area. Highlights: ParAcousti is used to model noise from a wave energy converter array in a 3-D area. Marine mammal acoustic impact metrics are modeled in 3-D for the first time. All marine mammals can hear the WEC noise but the detection area and magnitude vary. Modeled impact metrics can be used in future prediction of marine mammal behavior.