The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "Pressures on the marine environment associated with anthropogenic noise". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE
The main anthropogenic activities producing high levels of noise are seismic surveys of sub bottom strata (usually air gun arrays), sonars (military, scientific surveying, echo sounders), explosions (associated with military exercises and port construction), pile driving (wharf construction, offshore platforms), vessels (particularly dynamically positioned vessels), dredging and drill rig activities. Seismic surveys to date have been concentrated in the main oil and gas regions of the north west shelf and Bass Strait, military sonar concentrated in maritime exercise areas such as Sydney and Perth, dynamically positioned vessels are associated with offshore facilities and pile driving in port development areas such as the north west and north east.
DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT
National oil and gas facility, seismic survey and shipping data, published papers and reports on exposure experiments and sound modelling.
2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details]
• 2016 •
Assessment grade: Low-High impact
Assessment trend: Unclear
Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Comparability: Not previously assessed
CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT
Noise as a pressure on the marine environment was not assessed in 2011.
