GNGTS 2019 - Atti del 38° Convegno Nazionale

GNGTS 2019 S essione 3.2 603 Legislative framework. The lack of scientific evidence is affecting our ability to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic noise pollution on marine ecosystems, thus creating difficulties in implementing informed risk-management decisions. The Europe Commission introduced the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) whose aim is to safeguard the marine environment in order to maintain biodiversity and provide healthy oceans. The Directive requires Member States to achieve or protect the ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) in these ecosystems. Eleven qualitative descriptors are slated, the eleventh of which states that ‘ the introduction of energy, including underwater noise, is at levels that do not adversely affect the marine environment’ (EC, 2010). Mitigation measures - such as soft start and ramp-ups in the noise level of airguns - have been implementedby theAgreement on theConservationofCetaceans of theBlackSea,Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS), the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) , and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). Precautions notwithstanding, these guidelines have not been uniformly received by the European legislative framework. In Italy, the use of airguns is bound to the Environmental Impact Assessment, but several uncertainties persist regarding the types of documents to submit and the mitigation measures to follow. Therefore, the introduction of this restriction has resulted in the cessation of all seismic surveys performed for research purposes and for oil and gas exploration. Conclusions and research recommendations. The impossibility of using airguns as tools for scientific geophysical prospecting, is undermining the knowledge efforts made in the areas of deep ocean research, climate, paleoclimate and geological hazards. The difficulty of conducting clinical and pathological analyses and experimental activities on living organisms in the marine environment, and the great diversification of sources of noise, generally divided into “impulsive” and “continuous”, determine a great uncertainty about the extent and type of effects of noise pollution on marine fauna and in particular on cetacean stranding phenomena (e.g. Mazzariol et al., 2011). Underwater acoustics and impacts related to noise are multidisciplinary subjects. Therefore, in order to understand more, an interdisciplinary approach should be undertaken. Rigorous studies should be conducted as a result of collaboration between stakeholders, including scientists and industry (Carroll et al., 2017). Future studies should be focused on: the effects of particle motion on species lacking a swim bladder, populations, masking by pneumatic sources and the short and long-term intraspecific effects of seismic sounds on important biological processes (reproduction, larval development…) (Hawkins and Popper , 2014). Furthermore, several pieces of information on the effects of seismic surveys on marine life is derived from ‘gray’ literature and anecdotal reports which may lack suitable experimental design or fail to adequately describe it (Hawkins et al., 2015). Further research into the effects of seismic surveys is important so that results can be used to design effective mitigation techniques that should be developed. In addition, appropriate risk assessment needs to be undertaken prior to commencing a survey. Last but not least, studies of dose–response relationships and of impacts at population level will provide insight on noise levels above which potentially harmful effects start to occur. The legislation should by this means embody that seismic surveys operations are to be carried on in a sustainable way and in full respect of the conservation of marine natural resources. References Aguilar de Soto, N., Delorme, N., Atkins, J., Howard, S., Williams, J., Johnson, M. 2013 Anthropogenic noise causes body malformations and delays development in marine larvae. Scientific reports. 3 : 2831. Au WWL. Hearing in whales and dolphins: An overview. In: Au WWL, Popper AN, Fay RR, editors. Hearing by whales and dolphins. New York: Springer-Verlag. 2000; 1–42. Booman, C., Dalen, J., Leivestad, H, Levsen, A., van der Meeren, T., Toklum, K. 1996. Effects from airgun shooting on eggs, larvae, and fry. Experiments at the Institute of Marine Research and Zoological Laboratorium, University of Bergen.