The third International Conference on "The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life" brought together scientists, regulators, environmentalists and industry. The very latest scientific research was presented and current regulatory issues were discussed. Following its predecessors in Nyborg, 2007 and Cork, 2010, Aquatic Noise 2013 was a key event in shaping how aquatic noise pollution will be managed in the future.
The MMOA was represented by Phil Johnston who gave a short presentation on the MMO/PAM’s role in implementing mitigation in the field. An MMOA poster was also displayed and leaflets distributed, all raising awareness of the importance of the MMO/PAM role.
Workshops with leading scientists, regulators, environmentalists and industry heads were held to ultimately determine how to minimise anthropogenic noise pollution in water. Professional MMO/PAMs work at the sharp end of environmental protection and our practical knowledge is increasingly being regarded as a vital component of these discussions. The MMOA was there to provide a voice for MMO/PAMs and our contributions to the debate were very well received.
Abstracts of the latest research from the conference will be posted in the Information Directory, so look out for highlights such as: Behavioural response of whales to seismic (Cato & Dunlop), Controlled sonar experiments (Lam); Harbour seal telemetry during pile driving (Hastie); Assessing population-level consequences of acoustic disturbance (Harwood) and; Acoustic modelling used in real-time mitigation (Racca)
Discussions with regulators and industry on subjects raised at the Budapest conference are on-going, and MMOA will continue to be very much involved.
