Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D11 / Ireland / NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas
Report type | Member State report to Commission |
MSFD Article | Art. 11 Monitoring programmes (and Art. 17 updates) |
Report due | 2020-10-15 |
GES Descriptor | D11 Energy, incl. underwater noise |
Member State | Ireland |
Region/subregion | NE Atlantic: Celtic Seas |
Reported by | Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government |
Report date | 2021-12-08 |
Report access |
Descriptor |
D11 |
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Monitoring strategy description |
Ireland has one programme to monitor and assess Criterion D11C1 for impulsive noise; the OSPAR Impulsive Noise Registry. This adheres to OSPAR and EC guidance on impulsive noise. Ireland has reported seismic activity data from the years 2016 through to 2019 to this registry. Impulsive noise generated from potential future pile driving activities will be reported to this registry, as the Irish offshore renewable sector progresses; this data will be captured through existing foreshore regulatory regimes.
The information collected in this programme allows us to assess inputs of underwater noise into the marine environment from human activities, in the form of ‘Number of Bang Days’.
Following the recent MSFD Article 17 Assessment, Criterion D11C1 impulsive noise, was determined to be in GES for Irish Marine waters. D11C2 continuous noise was not assessed as work is still ongoing at OSPAR and EU level to develop methodologies for the assessment of continuous underwater noise. |
Coverage of GES criteria |
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018 |
Gaps and plans |
Gaps identified: The key knowledge gap is understanding the levels of anthropogenic underwater noise that can lead to effects at the population level and ecosystem scales. Particularly how to quantify the risk of impact at these scales for vulnerable/threatened species and key functional groups. Risks to populations need to be more clearly established in order to develop proportionate measures. These knowledge gaps need to be addressed before the impacts of impulsive underwater noise in Irish marine waters can be categorically assessed.
Gap Plans: progress towards addressing knowledge gaps includes co-operating with other Contracting Parties in OSPAR to develop a comprehensive procedure for the assessment of both impulsive and continuous underwater noise in all OSPAR regions. Including participation in the RAGES, JONAS and SATURN projects. |
Related targets |
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Coverage of targets |
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018 |
Related measures |
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Coverage of measures |
Adequate monitoring was in place by 2018 |
Related monitoring programmes |
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Programme code |
ACS-IE-D11-01 |
Programme name |
Impulsive Noise Registry |
Update type |
Modified from 2014 |
Old programme codes |
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Programme description |
The ICES hosted Impulsive Noise Register has been established to support OSPAR contracting parties; the portal assembles data collated nationally from registers of licenced events such as airgun arrays, pile driving, controlled explosions from naval operations and other activities that release energy.
This registry is specifically purposed with supporting OSPAR (and HELCOM) in providing information that will feed regional assessments, and in reporting by its contracting parties to MSFD descriptor 11. |
Monitoring purpose |
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Other policies and conventions |
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Regional cooperation - coordinating body |
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Regional cooperation - countries involved |
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Regional cooperation - implementation level |
Coordinated data collection |
Monitoring details |
Temporal and Spacial data from 2D and 3D Seismic Surveys, carried out under licence of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, are reported under OSPAR Impulsive Underwater Noise Annual Data calls. |
Features |
Impulsive sound in water
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Elements |
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GES criteria |
D11C1 |
Parameters |
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Parameter Other |
Number of Bang Days |
Spatial scope |
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Marine reporting units |
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Temporal scope (start date - end date) |
2016-9999 |
Monitoring frequency |
Yearly |
Monitoring type |
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Monitoring method |
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Monitoring method other |
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Quality control |
ICES provides a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) document that fully describes the ICES Data Portal Web Service including Quality Control details.
https://www.ices.dk/data/data-portals/Pages/impulsive-noise.aspx |
Data management |
Data held nationally in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and also in ICES database. |
Data access |
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Related indicator/name |
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Contact |
Mary Hegarty
Mary.hegarty@housing.gov.ie |
References |
Nathan D. Merchant, Mathias H. Andersson, Tetrienne Box, Florent Le Courtois, Dónal Cronin, Neil Holdsworth, Niels Kinneging, Sónia Mendes, Thomas Merck, John Mouat, Alain M.J. Norro, Benjamin Ollivier, Carlos Pinto, Philip Stamp, Jakob Tougaard. Impulsive noise pollution in the Northeast Atlantic: Reported activity during 2015–2017, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 152, 2020 |