CEDA Publishes Position Paper On Underwater Sound
Frank Thomsen chair of the Central Dredging Association (CEDA) Working Group on Underwater Sound presented a report on the group’s efforts in the course of Dredging Days. A position paper designed and produced by DPC was released during the event.
Working group members are Frank Thomsen (chairman) DHI Water & Environment Denmark (formerly with Cefas UK); Frederik Roose (secretary) Ministry of Flemish Community Division Maritime Access Belgium; Frederik Goethals DEME Belgium; Martine Holtkamp IHC Merwede the Netherlands; Astrid Kramer Royal Boskalis Westminster the Netherlands; Helmut Meyer Federal Ministry of Transport Building and Urban Affairs Germany; Gerard van Raalte Royal Boskalis Westminster the Netherlands; Elena San Martin ABPMer UK (corresponding member); Philip Spadaro Arcadis US USA; and Pim de Wit Port of Rotterdam the Netherlands.
Other contributions were received from the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Environmental Commission and from Douglas Clark and Kevin Reine U.S. Army Engineer R&D Center Environmental Laboratory. Arcadis US provided the illustrations for the paper.
The meetings were held on January 27 April 19 May 10 and October 5 2011 in the Netherlands.
Douglas Clark said “You should note that at Anna Csiti’s invitation WEDA was well represented in the CEDA working group. A lot of good work is being done relevant to underwater sounds produced by dredges. Our intention is to have a robust knowledge base in hand before underwater sound becomes the ‘turbidity issue’ of the future. We are exploring new opportunities to collaborate with our European colleagues.
“Here at ERDC we have an R&D effort underway on this topic. Recently we worked with the New York District to characterize sounds of backhoe and cutterhead dredging operations in NY/NJ Harbor. Any news from EC members about dredging-associated underwater sound concerns raised by regulators around the country would be welcome.”
The paper includes an appendix chart comparing the intensity direction and duration of underwater sounds produced by a variety of equipment such as different types of dredges; other human-produced sounds such as explosions sonar and echo sounders; and marine animal sounds including shrimp whales and porpoises.
The text includes analyses of the sounds produced by each dredge and an assessment of the risks to the health of marine life as a result of human-produced sound.
A complete list of references rounds out the paper which is attractively formatted and readable.
The paper is available in pdf form on the CEDA Web site: www.dredging.org > Publications and Resources>downloads.
