Defining a Good Environmental Status for ocean noise within the European Marine Framework Strategy is challenged by our limited knowledge about noise effects on marine fauna. While ambient sound can provide useful cues for marine fauna, animals may also respond negatively to noise exposure and noise can affect fauna via behavioural, physiological, cellular and genetic mechanisms. At the high predator level, there are numerous studies assessing reactions of marine mammals to underwater noise. These studies have reported reactions from apparently null to subtle behavioural changes, physiological and behavioural indicators of stress, and even death (directly due to exposure to explosions, or as a secondary effect of behavioural disturbance). Mass mortalities have been related to the use of intense naval sonar and the most affected species are deep-diving beaked whales (family Ziphiidae). Efforts to understand the causes of the higher vulnerability to sound of beaked whales require an inter-specific comparative approach to isolate the factors in their behaviour and eco-physiology with more relevance for the vulnerability of beaked whales. Underwater noise affects other fauna in addition to marine mammals and for this reason it is important to apply an ecosystem-management perspective to the assessment and regulation of underwater noise.
Currently, marine acoustic pollution is poorly regulated in Europe, despite growing evidence of a variety of impacts of noise on marine fauna. Initiatives to assess and regulate marine noise are arising from countries worlwide and, within EU, by the European Government and other international bodies such as OSPAR, ACCOBAMS and ASCOBAMS, all of which are suffering from the scarcity of scientific data upon which to base their decisions.
Based on the above, the objectives of ECOSOUND were:
i) To contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of noise effects in the oceans by performing research on marine fauna from invertebrates to top-predators.
ii) To transfer the knowledge generated during the project to competent authorities and other interested stakeholders, including the public, in order to create awareness and provide scientific basis for management decisions to regulate underwater noise, classified as a pollutant of emergent concern.
iii) In addition to research objectives of ECOSOUND, this project is a Marie Slodowska Curie individual fellowship project. As such, one of its goals is to facilitate the awarded MSC fellow to attain a stable position in a European research entity, strengthening the network of excellent scientists in Europe.
