An article by Professor Alan Deidun published recently on Timesofmalta.com highlights the emerging awareness of the detrimental effects of underwater noise on marine ecosystems, particularly low-frequency noises from ships in Malta. However, research is still in its early stages, lacking essential data on continuous underwater noise. This deficiency hampers compliance with European agreements, such as Descriptor 11 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
To address this, researchers from the University of Malta and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare collaborated to assess the impact of shipping traffic on underwater noise in specific Maltese locations. Preliminary results suggest a sub-optimal acoustic environment in Maltese waters. The study aims to prompt authorities to allocate resources effectively for achieving the ‘Good Ecological Status’ required by the EU directive. Funding for the study comes from various Interreg Italia-Malta projects and the University of Malta’s Research Seed Fund.
Read the full details in the Journal of Marine Sciences and Engineering article titled: “A Preliminary Snapshot Investigation of the Marine Soundscape for Malta: A Steppingstone towards Achieving ‘Good Ecological Status”
