News

New calibration service for underwater acoustic recorders unveiled

Images of typical marine autonomous acoustic recorders

EMPIR project develops new traceable calibration service to provide underwater acoustic data

The expansion of offshore activities such as oil and gas exploration, together with the rapid increase in commercial shipping traffic, has raised concerns about the environmental impact of man-made noise on marine life.

In response, the EU has introduced legislation designed to limit the impact of such noise, which has increased the demand for traceable measurement of sound in the ocean. EMPIR project Underwater acoustic calibration standards for frequencies below 1 kH (15RPT02 UNAC-LOW) aims to develop traceable calibration methods for devices used to monitor underwater noise.

The results of calibration of such units in the frequency range 20 Hz to 315 Hz

As a result of work carried out in the project, NPL has introduced a new traceable calibration service to provide improved underwater acoustic data. The new solution, entitled “Underwater Autonomous Acoustic Recorder Calibration Service” incorporates expertise in marine acoustic monitoring, offering traceable calibration data to its users to meet the relevant regulatory requirements.

This will give equipment manufacturers the competitive edge in a growing market, and underpin emergent regulation with a more robust metrology infrastructure. The new service was launched at the Ocean Business exhibition in Southampton, UK in April 2017.