Measuring underwater noise can help protect our marine ecosystem
Protecting marine life: The MaREI Centre in University College Cork and Wind Energy Ireland are collaborating on a project recording sounds and vibrations in the water.
Offshore wind energy is not just a part of Ireland’s economic future, it could turn us into a renewable energy superpower. Last year Irish onshore wind farms cut carbon emissions by twice as much as every other renewable energy source combined. Wind power is our number one source of home-made clean energy.
Ireland has great ambition when it comes to offshore renewable energy. We need to begin building wind farms off our coasts as soon as possible but with care and respect for the marine environment.
To build with due care we need to understand the marine environment we will be building in, together with advancing our knowledge of how we can protect and operate in harmony with the marine life who call our seas home, and the ecosystems and habitats they rely on.
One of the most critical things to examine is the effect, if any, of underwater noise from offshore wind development on marine life. The more we know about this, the better we can build offshore wind farms.
To achieve this, the Irish Marine Acoustics Platform (IMAP) research project was launched in April 2025 with the aim of establishing a national systematic underwater acoustic monitoring programme. The goal of the IMAP project is to monitor underwater noise today to help safeguard marine life along the Irish coast in the future as we build and operate wind farms.
The IMAP project, funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Marine Institute, will identify, manage and mitigate the underwater noise recorded up to the project’s conclusion in December 2028.
The MaREI Centre in University College Cork and Wind Energy Ireland will collaborate as project partners to record ambient sound levels. Hydrophones, which are similar to microphones; are used to record sounds and vibrations in the water. The hydrophones will capture annual and seasonal variations in sounds and will be placed in strategic locations along the Irish coast, particularly where offshore wind farm developments may be planned. The project will use data and analytics to provide the evidence offshore wind farm developers need to strike healthy balance between wind farm development and marine life protection.
Alongside the underwater noise research, the IMAP project showcases an area of research in Ireland that can be expanded upon well into the future.
“This acoustic baseline project will help ensure Ireland’s green energy transition brings the benefits of abundant clean affordable energy while simultaneously being mindful of our marine ecosystems,” said Gerry Sutton, IMAP Project Lead at University College Cork “It is a critical step toward responsible development and will help to ensure that Ireland’s offshore wind expansion proceeds sustainably, minimising ecological risks while cutting the carbon emissions and protecting marine and indeed, all other life, from the worst effects of the climate emergency.”
Ireland's maritime territory is ten times the size of its land area, which brings massive potential for offshore wind development. The waters surrounding Ireland are also a highly productive area for marine habitats, providing a home for hundreds of species of invertebrates and fish.
There are many reasons why Irish coastal waters are inviting for marine life. Ireland provides access to sheltered bays and to the complex canyon system off the continental shelf. Irish waters play an important role in European marine life, as a home to 25 specialised species which feed and breed here safely.
There are 35 species of sharks in our Irish waters, as well as 24 species of whales and dolphins. Irish waters are welcoming to species that are migratory, which follow food here, including humpback and fin whales off the southwest and south coast. Irish waters are home year-round to the bottlenose dolphin, 145 of which are resident in the Shannon Estuary.
While underwater noise is predominantly produced by shipping, which creates a low-frequency and continuous noise, with the planned expansion of offshore wind energy into Irish coastal waters, Irish wind farms are keen to support the IMAP research and to find new ways to generate clean, affordable, energy while protecting and enhancing our precious marine ecosystems.
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