Harmonized Shipping Sound Test Signals to Assess Effects on Aquatic Animals

One of the main aims of the EU Horizon 2020 research program SATURN (developing solutions to underwater radiated noise, https://www.saturnh2020.eu/ ) is to determine the relevant metrics of ship-radiated underwater sounds that can be related to effects on the physiology and behavior of aquatic animals. Where possible, these metrics will then be related to the corresponding ship design and operational parameters, to enable the development of mitigation solutions. As part of the approach, controlled exposure experiments will be conducted on representative fish and invertebrate species, involving playback of these representative test signals. The relevant temporal and spectral features that can be attributed to ship-radiated sound characteristics have been characterized, based on data available in the literature. A suite of artificially synthesized ship sound signals has been developed. These signals are considered suitable for the assessment of harmful underwater noise characteristics in the sense that they are relevant for the impact on marine life as well as subject to technically achievable mitigation measures. Using harmonized test signals in different bioacoustic playback studies facilitates the comparability of results. These signals are offered as a standard reference for external stakeholders and future projects.