Subsea Environmental Acoustic Monitoring Using Long Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Underwater radiated noise from marine vessels is a growing concern with increasing shipping activity and the related impact on marine fauna. In this paper, current methods for monitoring subsea acoustic noise are reviewed. A combination of these methods, comprised of autonomous underwater vehicles and autonomous listening stations are introduced for wide area, repeatable, seasonal acoustic surveys. To validate this approach, a proof-of-concept mission in Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada is introduced. The mission, equipment configuration and next steps are presented.