National Activities

Summary report from U.S. Workshop toward Planning an Ocean Sound Decade

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) coordinated a full-day hybrid-format workshop on 29 April 2022 to gather input from the ocean sound and acoustics community to contribute to the Maritime Acoustic Environment (UN-MAE). The workshop was supported by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation. The summary report in English is listed below, as well as translations into Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

U.S. National Research Council Releases Report on Gulf of Mexico Loop Current

The U.S. National Research Council recently released a report entitled Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current. The report recommended establishment of a grant program for research, which has been implemented. The report describes the use of acoustics to study the Loop Current. Hard copies are available for purchase and a pdf version of the report can be downloaded for free.

Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)

The IMOS passive acoustics facility has made passive acoustic data from four sites around Australia publicly available since 2008 at one site, although funding now may cause a temporary pause. This document summarizes the facility. The operation of the IMOS facility could be considered a model for how passive acoustic data can be disseminated.

Richard Lounsbery Foundation Funds Consortium for Ocean Leadership

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) has funding from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation to advance U.S. multi-stakeholder collaboration on ocean sound data, research, and observation. As part of this effort, which will build U.S. engagement and leverage scientific resources and investment in support of the IQOE, COL will document the full landscape of U.S.

National Workshop on Passive Acoustic Sensors, Measurements and Calibration

National Workshop on Passive Acoustic Sensors, Measurements and Calibration--This workshop was held at NIOT Chennai, on October 14, 2016. Twenty-seven individuals participated in the meeting, including representatives from the Indian Navy, fisheries agency, National Institute of Oceanography-Goa and the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi. The workshop was opened with an inaugural presentation by Dr. S.C. Shenoi, Director, NIOT, followed by a talk on the importance of passive acoustics for monitoring underwater environments and the objectives of IQOE by Dr.

NOPP Approves ADEON

The National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) has approved the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON)

Status

IQOE is in its 9th year as a 10-year project and continues to implement of its Science Plan (available here). IQOE has successfully coordinated a variety of activities in ocean acoustics and bioacoustics through IQOE working groups on the use of acoustics to assess biodiversity, the importance of acoustic observations in the Arctic Ocean, standards for reporting ocean acoustic and bioacoustic data for IQOE, software for making acoustic observations comparable worldwide, and recommendations for implementation of an Ocean Sound Essential Ocean Variable for the Global Ocean Observing System. IQOE progress has been documented since June 2018 through IQOE Newsletters and since the beginning of the project through other products. IQOE identified 2020 as the Year of the Quiet Ocean because of evidence that ocean sound decreased because of decreases in human activities in the ocean due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Next Steps

Activities in 2024 will include actions to help implement the Ocean Sound Essential Ocean Variable Implementation Plan; continuation of new activities on low-cost ocean acoustic observing systems and expansion of the Open Portal to Underwater Sound (OPUS), implementation of the Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds, sponsorship of the second World Ocean Passive Acoustic Monitoring Day; and meetings of IQOE working groups and Science Committee.

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