NAVISON Final Report: Calculation and Analysis of Shipping Sound Maps for All European Seas From 2016 to 2050
October 2024 — Baltic Sea, Black, Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Northeast Atlantic Ocean
Client: European Maritime Safety Agency
The NAVIs SONus (NAVISON) report is the first pan-European report to provide historical and future forecast underwater noise data for all European seas. Underwater noise from ships is recognised as a stress factor for marine life, particularly for cetaceans like whales and dolphins, who use sound to communicate with each other. It can harm marine biodiversity and cause behavioural changes in animals. Using a single methodology, NAVISON maps underwater noise levels in all European seas for the first time, providing a comprehensive, pan-European overview, and allowing quantitative like-for-like comparisons of shipping contributions to ambient sound between regions, vessel categories, years, and forecast scenarios.