Coastal Ocean Noise Service in support to the impact assessment of Offshore Windfarms in the Mediterranean Sea

Among the challenges of preserving the biodiversity of the ocean, underwater noise of human origin is recognized as a serious threat to aquatic environments and is regulated at European level. Preserving and restoring Europe’s rich biodiversity is one of the EU’s top priorities, as outlined again in the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. The EU, prioritizing biodiversity preservation, employs the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) adopted in 1992. Underwater noise is addressed through the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, Directive 2008/56/EC) and the EU’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU). Major maritime development projects in the EU must therefore assess their impact on the marine environment. This is mandatory in most cases before any offshore project can start. This use case, in collaboration with Provence Grand Large Offshore Windfarm developed by EDF Renewables, utilizes high-resolution coastal statistical sound maps generated by integrating the HYCOM3D oceanographic model output from SHOM into the Quonops© noise modeling platform by Quiet-Oceans. The Mediterranean HYCOM3D regional configuration provides detailed insights into coastal processes, with hourly temporal frequency and high spatial resolution up to 1.8 km, contributing to the assessment of underwater noise impacts on marine life from Offshore Windfarm developments along the south coast of France.

This Use Case was funded by the Copernicus Marine Service User Engagement Programme 2022-2028.