主要研究 今天

在COVID-19封锁的高峰期，陆地上的生活可能已经平静下来, 但远在大西洋沿岸的海域还是一如既往的嘈杂. A 新声学研究 led by 主要研究 researchers reveals that there was no significant change in the continental shelf’s underwater soundscape during the year 2020 – a surprising contrast to the reports of quieter coastal waters during that same timeframe.

詹妮弗·米克西斯-奥尔兹是该组织的主任 主要研究声学研究与教育中心, is the first author on the research published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America’s Express Letters. As commercial ocean-going shipping vessels ground to a halt due to the pandemic lockdown, Miksis-Olds wanted to know if the underwater noise levels were coming down as well. 的 study focused on seven offshore sites geographically spanning Virginia to Florida — places where hydrophones had been placed on the seabed in 2017 and then retrieved in 2021 as part of the 大西洋深水生态系统观测网.

“Having that long-term time series was really critical because it allowed for direct comparison of years of data before COVID-19 hit,她解释道. “Acoustic measurements in the deep ocean are more scarce than in coastal waters, so this research provides another perspective on how the deep oceans were impacted — or not — by COVID-19.”

的 data indicated that although the noise from commercial shipping vessels decreased, 其他船只发出的噪音越来越大, 比如渔船和游艇. 的 net result: no major difference in the underwater soundscape approximately 45-280 miles from the shoreline.

“深海的声学测量比沿海水域更稀缺, so this research provides another perspective on how the deep oceans were impacted - or not - by COVID-19."

金·洛厄尔(Kim Lowell)是该研究所的地理空间数据分析专家 联合国大学海岸和海洋测绘中心他是该论文的合著者. He notes that human-generated ocean noise is a topic of interest right now because of its potential impacts on marine life. “在一个完美的世界里, we’d ride around on the backs of whales and ask them if the noise is bothering them,他开玩笑说。. ”而不是, 我们从几个地点得到了一些水听器数据, and it was my job to find the most appropriate analytical techniques to help answer the question of whether or not COVID-19 lockdown impacted noise levels in the deep ocean. 的 data were not perfect, but I’m confident that we produced an answer with scientific integrity.”

Miksis-Olds notes that the findings are in direct contrast to what was reported closer to the shoreline, but says that’s why it’s important to examine different aspects of the ocean environment before drawing conclusions.

“It’s fascinating that oceans are so dynamic and variable; different regions really have different personalities based on the natural and human interactions that happen within those waters,她补充道.

ADEON数据收集的资金是由美国农业部资助的.S. 内政部, 海洋能源管理局, 环境研究课程, 华盛顿, D.C. 合同编号为M16PC00003，与ONR和NOAA合作. 船舶时间的经费由ONR根据法典第32条的单独合同提供.

的 联合国大学地球、海洋和空间研究所(EOS) 是联合国大学最大的研究企业, 由六个以跨学科为重点的中心组成, 对地球和气候系统的高影响力研究, 空间科学, 海洋环境, 海底测绘和环境声学. With approximately 100 principal investigators managing more than 400 individual grant awards, 年支出超过7700万美元, EOS fosters an intellectual and scientific environment that advances visionary scholarship and leadership in world-class and graduate education.