Acoustic Criteria

This chapter starts to answer the question of “How Quiet”? A noisy craft affects humans – both onboard the vessel and ashore or nearby (e.g., in the case of man-overboard or in-port). Ship-induced noise also affects sea life, sometimes over large distances. Acoustic criteria, or in some cases only ‘guidance’, have been established to limit these impacts. For crew and passengers, noise impacts hearing loss, health, comfort, and performance as a minimum. For warfighters, noise can affect stealthiness and situational awareness. For sea creatures, noise can affect feeding, communication, health, and reproduction.