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).

This record represents the raw passive acoustic data collected from the NOAA-Navy Sanctuary Soundscapes Monitoring Project (SanctSound). NOAA and the U.S. Navy are working to better understand underwater sound within the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary System. From 2018 to 2021, these agencies collected passive acoustic data to study sound at 30 recording sites within seven national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument, which includes waters off Hawai'i and the east and west coasts.

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 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.

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

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.

Theis collection contains raw audio data collected during the Passive Acoustics Survey of Cetacean Abundance Levels (PASCAL) in 2016.

Offshore wind farms allow renewable energy to be generated with little or no carbon dioxide emissions and there is little visual or noise disturbance to the public. Making decisions on when and where these wind farms are built requires a year-round understanding of the species present and their ecology, particularly for protected species that are sensitive to sound, such as marine mammals. Passive acoustic monitoring devices detected small cetacean echolocation click trains within and surrounding the Maryland Wind Energy Area in order to collect baseline data that can be used for informing siting, mitigation measures, assessing environmental impacts for future wind energy developments, and to facilitate marine spatial planning in the area. Marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and small cetacean species, such as bottlenose dolphins, short-beaked common dolphins, and harbor porpoises are known to be present in this region. We recorded echolocation clicks from small cetaceans using passive acoustic devices called C-PODs, Cetacean PODs, which are tonal click train detectors. This acoustic monitoring during 3 years in November 2014 - 2017 allowed us to capture interannual and seasonal variation in small cetacean occurrence within and surrounding the Maryland Wind Energy Area offshore of Ocean City, Maryland, USA.

DCLDE Workshops are intended for exchanging information that advances our understanding of acoustic methods to detect, classify, locate, track, count, and monitor marine mammals in their natural environment. The goal is to encourage interdisciplinary approaches to solve real-world problems related to the study of marine mammals and the effects of human activities. The DCLDE 2015 dataset consists of data from multiple deployments of high-frequency acoustic recording packages deployed in the Southern California Bight. Separate sets of development data are provided for mysticetes and odontocetes. The mysticete data have been decimated to 1 and 1.6 kHz bandwidth and the odontocete data bandwidth consists of data with 100 and 160 kHz of bandwidth. Data were selected to cover all four seasons and from multiple locations. High-frequency datasets consist of annotated data from multiple odontocete species. Included is Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Sperm whale (Physeter macrorhynchus), Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), unspecified porpoise (Phocoenidae), and odontocete other than those described above (Odontoceti). The goal for this dataset is to identify acoustic encounters of a species during times when animals were echolocating. Low-frequency datasets consist of annotated data for specific calls from two mysticete species, blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) D calls and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) 40 Hz calls. The goal for this dataset is to identify specific blue whale D and fin whale 40 Hz calls.

The DCLDE Oahu dataset consists of a subset of passive acoustic data collected using a multi-channeltowed hydrophone array during the Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey(HICEAS) in 2017. HICEAS was a visual and passive acoustic survey using line-transect methods. Thesurvey took place from July through November of 2017 using two research vessels that systematicallysurveyed the entire Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).