This record represents the raw passive acoustic data collected by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and the Alfred Wegener Institute using Autonomous Hydrophones deployed in the Fram Straight.

This record represents the hybrid millidecade (HMD) sound levels derived from calibrated passive acoustic data. Daily HMD at 1 minute resolution were created using standalone MANTA software (v9.6.13). Sound levels are calculated at 1 Hz resolution up to 435 Hz and then at millidecade frequency bands above 435 Hz. Details on the hybrid millidecade calculation can be found in Martin et al (2021). The source audio data were recorded using Autonomous Hydrophones deployed in the Fram Straight by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and the Alfred Wegener Institute.

This record represents the hybrid millidecade (HMD) sound levels derived from calibrated passive acoustic data. Daily HMD at 1 minute resolution were created using standalone MANTA software (v9.6.13). Sound levels are calculated at 1 Hz resolution up to 435 Hz and then at millidecade frequency bands above 435 Hz. Details on the hybrid millidecade calculation can be found in Martin et al (2021). The source audio data were recorded using Autonomous Hydrophones deployed in the Fram Straight by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and the Alfred Wegener Institute.

The collection and analysis of passive acoustic data supports research into the soundscape of marine environments. Primary uses include detecting and characterizing sounds produced and used by living marine resources, natural sources of noise from physical oceanographic processes, and anthropogenic noise sources that contribute to the overall ocean noise environment. This analysis supports a wide range of activities including marine mammal stock assessments, monitoring of earthquake and geological activity, and assessing impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine life. The goal of this collection is to steward an accessible national archive of passive acoustic data available to researchers and the public, and to assist NOAA in meeting their data management and accessibility requirements.

The project collected three years of baseline data 12 - 60 km offshore of Maryland prior to construction and operation of an offshore wind energy facility. Two main types of sound recording devices that encompassed a range of frequencies were used to detect vocalizations from baleen whales (low frequencies) and toothed whales (high frequencies): the Marine Autonomous Recording Unit (MARU, or pop-up) sampling at 2 kHz and the C-POD (cetacean click detector), which monitors the 20 - 160 kHz frequency range. These were supplemented by additional acoustic recorders during select periods of the study at five sites to provide further information on mid-frequency sounds, such as dolphin whistling behavior. The use of a grid array design for the acoustic detection devices within the Maryland WEA facilitated localization of vocalizing whales to further understand spatial patterns of habitat usage. RESULTS: There is substantial overlap between marine mammals and the Maryland WEA, but this varies seasonally. While the risk to endangered whales is lowest during the summer, the risk to bottlenose dolphins may be highest at this time, as they are most abundant in the summer time. The year-round occurrence of marine mammals offshore of Maryland will require decision-makers to consider the trade-off of the potential impacts

This record represents the raw passive acoustic data collected from Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON) for the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) which was developed and deployed in November of 2017. This observatory network will generate long-term measurements of both the natural and human factors active in this region, thus informing the ecology and soundscape of the OCS. These data will provide further a mechanistic understanding of the cumulative impacts these factors have on marine resources and provide insight for ecosystem-based management efforts. Long-term observations of living marine resources and marine sound will assist Federal agencies, including BOEM, ONR, and NOAA, in complying with mandates in the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA).

To understand natural and anthropogenic sound in the ocean, and to compare underwater soundscapes globally, standard methods of analysis must be applied to passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data. Methods that balance constrained volume and adequate resolution of acoustic spectra have recently been published (Martin et al., 2021a,b). A community effort supported by NOAA, BOEM, U.S. Navy, and ONR was initiated to apply these methods to PAM datasets from around the world. These records are hybrid millidecade (HMD) spectra of sound levels derived from calibrated passive acoustic data. Daily HMD at 1 minute resolution were created using standalone MANTA software (v9.6.11).

To understand natural and anthropogenic sound in the ocean, and to compare underwater soundscapes globally, standard methods of analysis must be applied to passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data. Methods that balance constrained volume and adequate resolution of acoustic spectra have recently been published (Martin et al., 2021a,b). These records are the results of this standardized analysis of PAM data, specifically calculation of hybrid millidecade (HMD) sound pressure levels derived from calibrated passive acoustic data from a long-term monitoring effort in the U.S. national marine sanctuary system. Daily HMD at 1 minute resolution were created using PyPAM software v0.2.0.

Passive acoustic monitoring of the ocean ambient sound field is a critical aspect of NOAA's mandate for ocean and coastal stewardship. This includes detecting and characterizing: (1) sounds produced and used by living marine resources (e.g., endangered marine mammals); (2) natural sources of noise from physical oceanographic processes; and (3) anthropogenic noise sources that contribute to the overall ocean noise environment. Noise generated by anthropogenic activities (especially commercial shipping and seismic oil & gas exploration) is increasingly being recognized as a potential threat to marine mammals which are protected in the U.S. by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Current scientific data suggest that increased ambient noise levels impact marine mammals by hindering communication (Hatch et al. 2012), altering communication behavior (Parks et al. 2013), altering locomotive behavior (Pirotta et al. 2013), and inducing stress (Rolland et al. 2012). Additional concerns associated with the degraded acoustic quality of diverse habitats broaden these concerns to include possible repercussions for fish and invertebrate species, many of which NOAA manages as commercially-harvested, protects as resources within sanctuaries, or studies as key elements to sustaining healthy ecosystems. For these reasons it is important for science-based regulatory agencies including NOAA to monitor long-term trends and changes in the ambient sound field. The objective of the proposed project is to establish a network of initially ten ocean noise reference stations in U.S. waters to monitor long-term changes and trends in the underwater ambient sound field (McDonald et al. 2006). Our plan is to deploy identical autonomous acoustic recording systems developed in-house at PMEL at each reference station to ensure proper calibration and consistency of the collected data sets.

To understand natural and anthropogenic sound in the ocean, and to compare underwater soundscapes globally, standard methods of analysis must be applied to passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data. Methods that balance constrained volume and adequate resolution of acoustic spectra have recently been published (Martin et al., 2021a,b). A community effort supported by NOAA, BOEM, U.S. Navy, and ONR was initiated to apply these methods to PAM datasets from around the world. These records are hybrid millidecade (HMD) spectra of sound levels derived from calibrated passive acoustic data. Daily HMD at 1 minute resolution were created using standalone MANTA software (v9.6.12) from audio data recorded at BOEM-Cornell sites.