Characterization of the underwater noise produced by recreational and small fishing boats (<14 m) in the shallow-water of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 SCI

Marta Picciulin; Enrico Armelloni; Raffaela Falkner; Nikolina Rako-Gospić; Marko Radulović; Grgur Pleslić; Stipe Muslim; Hrvoje Mihanović; Tomaso Gaggero

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114050

Characterization of the underwater noise produced by recreational and small fishing boats (<14 m) in the shallow-water of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 SCI

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Oct:183:114050. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114050. Epub 2022 Aug 25.

Authors

Marta Picciulin¹, Enrico Armelloni², Raffaela Falkner³, Nikolina Rako-Gospić⁴, Marko Radulović⁵, Grgur Pleslić⁶, Stipe Muslim⁷, Hrvoje Mihanović⁸, Tomaso Gaggero⁹

Affiliations

¹ CNR-National Research Council, ISMAR - Institute of Marine Sciences in Venice, Castello 2737/f, 30122 Venice, Italy; Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 VeliLošinj, Croatia. Electronic address: marta.picciulin@ve.ismar.cnr.it.
² University of Parma, Department of Engineering and Architecture, Parco Area delleScienze 181/a, 43124 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: enrico.armelloni@unipr.it.
³ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 VeliLošinj, Croatia. Electronic address: raffaela.falkner@googlemail.com.
⁴ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 VeliLošinj, Croatia. Electronic address: nikolina.rako@gmail.com.
⁵ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 VeliLošinj, Croatia. Electronic address: marko.radulovic@blue-world.org.
⁶ Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 VeliLošinj, Croatia. Electronic address: grgur.pleslic@blue-world.org.
⁷ Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia. Electronic address: stipe.muslim@izor.hr.
⁸ Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište I. Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia. Electronic address: hrvoje.mihanovic@izor.hr.
⁹ University of Genoa, Department of Telecommunications, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Naval Architecture, Via Montallegro 1, 16145 Genova, Italy. Electronic address: tomaso.gaggero@unige.it.

PMID: 36029586
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114050

Abstract

Recreational boats are a dominant source of underwater noise in coastal areas, but reliable boat noise assessment is generally lacking. Here the Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) of seven recreational and small fishing boats moving at two different speeds was measured in the shallow waters of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 SCI (Croatia). Measurements were undertaken considering the internationally recognized standards and published guidelines for shallow waters. URN was provided in 1/3 octave band spectra and in narrow band spectra, to highlight the tonal components. Engine power and type rather than the boat length and design result to be more predictive of URN. Highest speeds induce highest noise levels only in a very limited frequency range and different boats with similar speed but different engines show a shift in the spectra. Relevance of the achieved results for the tested area is further discussed.

Keywords: Bottlenose dolphin; Northern Adriatic Sea; Soundscape; Underwater Radiated Noise.

MeSH terms

Croatia
Hunting
Noise
Ships*
Water*

Substances

Water