SanctSound

From 2018 to 2022, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the U.S. Navy co-led a project to better understand underwater sound within the National Marine Sanctuary System. The agencies worked with numerous scientific partners to study sound within seven national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument, which included waters off Hawai‘i and the east and west coasts. Standardized measurements assessed sounds produced by marine animals, physical processes (e.g., wind and waves), and human activities. These measurements, as well as all recording data from the project, are available to download through the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Passive Acoustic Archive. A web portal hosted by NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System provides public understanding of the project and exploration of sounds in sanctuaries. A data portal provides visualization and exploration of sound features from each location. A series of ONMS web stories highlights project findings and how they are being used to support our understanding and protection of sanctuary resources.

Project partners