Skip to main content

Underwater noise

CMST staff and students study underwater noise generation, propagation, and impacts on marine fauna. We also work on guidelines and advice for conservation management.

References Selected publications

Erbe C, McPherson C (2017) Underwater noise from geotechnical drilling and standard penetration testing. J Acoust Soc Am 142 (3):EL281-EL285. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5003328

Erbe C, Parsons M, Duncan AJ, Lucke K, Gavrilov A, Allen K (2017) Underwater particle motion (acceleration, velocity and displacement) from recreational swimmers, divers, surfers and kayakers. Acoust Aust 45:293-299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-017-0107-6

Marley SA, Salgado-Kent CP, Erbe C, Parnum I (2017) Eects of vessel trac and underwater noise on the movement, behaviour and vocalisations of bottlenose dolphins in an urbanised estuary. Sci Rep 7:13437. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13252-z

Marley SA, Salgado Kent CP, Erbe C (2017) Occupancy of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in relation to vessel traffic, dredging, and environmental variables within a highly urbanised estuary. Hydrobiologia 792 (1):243-263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3061-7

Erbe C, Williams R, Parsons M, Parsons SK, Hendrawan IG, Dewantama IMI (2018) Underwater noise from airplanes: An overlooked source of ocean noise. Mar Pollut Bull 137:656-661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.064

Erbe C, Marley S, Schoeman R, Smith JN, Trigg L, Embling CB (2019) The effects of ship noise on marine mammals–A review. Front Mar Sci 6:606. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00606

Erbe C, Dähne M, Gordon J, Herata H, Houser DS, Koschinski S, Leaper R, McCauley R, Miller B, Müller M, Murray A, Oswald JN, Scholik-Schlomer AR, Schuster M, van Opzeeland IC, Janik VM (2019) Managing the effects of noise from ship traffic, seismic surveying and construction on marine mammals in Antarctica. Front Mar Sci 6:647. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00647

Parsons MJG, Duncan AJ, Parsons SK, Erbe C (2020) Reducing vessel noise: An example of a solar-electric passenger ferry. J Acoust Soc Am 147 (5):3575-3583. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0001264

Erbe C, Schoeman RP, Peel D, Smith JN (2021) It often howls more than it chugs: Wind versus ship noise under water in Australia’s maritime regions. J Mar Sci Eng 9 (5):472. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9050472

Parsons MJG, Erbe C, Meekan MG, Parsons SK (2021) A review and meta-analysis of underwater noise radiated by small (<25 m length) vessels. J Mar Sci Eng 9 (8):827. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9080827

Williams R, Erbe C, Duncan A, Nielsen K, Washburn T, Smith C (2022) Noise from deep-sea mining may span vast ocean areas. Science 377 (6602):157-158. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo2804

de Lestang S, How J, Erbe C, Rushworth K (2024) Boom, shake the room: Seismic surveys affect behaviour and survival of western rock lobster. Fisheries Research 277:107072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107072

Verfuss UK, Darias-O’Hara AK, Erbe C, Houser D, Janik VM, Ketten D, Lucke K, Morell M, Pacini A, Reichmuth C, Booth CG (2024) Eliciting the magnitude of auditory threshold shift considered injury in Antarctic marine mammals. Mar Policy 170:105919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105919

Crittenden A, Robb K, Erbe C (2025) A marine soundscape anthropause: Covid-19 lockdown impacts on soundscape composition, vessel traffic, and dolphin acoustic presence in Port Phillip Bay. Regional Studies in Marine Science:104486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104486

Darias-O’Hara AK, Booth CG, Erbe C, Isojunno S, Janik VM, Lucke K, Southall B, Tougaard J, von Benda-Beckmann AM, Verfuss UK (2025) Behavioural response thresholds for the assessment of noise impact on Antarctic marine mammal species. Mar Policy 179:106738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106738

Przeslawski R, Carlile N, Carroll A, Croft F, Erbe C, Gill AB, Parsons MJG, Sequeira AMM, Voyer M, Williams J, Woehler EJ (2025) Environmental considerations related to floating offshore wind farms: a case study from waters around New South Wales, Australia. Marine & Freshwater Research 76 (16):MF24279. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf24279

Williams R, Cox KD, Amon D, Ashe E, Chapuis L, Erbe C, de Vos A, Nielsen KA, Collins MS, Smith C, Washburn T, Young KF, Clark CW (2025) Noise from deep-sea mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean will impact a broad range of marine taxa. Mar Pollut Bull 218:118135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118135