Underwater soundscapes of the Conero area and the Upper Adriatic

Abstract

Underwater sound sources can be natural or related to human activities, and the latter can have a negative impact on marine fauna. The Italy-Croatia project "SOUNDSCAPE" for the first time performed a monitoring of underwater noise pollution in the Upper Adriatic between February 2020 and July 2021. The collected data, including also the period of COVID-19, show that the underwater noise levels in the Upper Adriatic are similar to those of the Baltic, a highly trafficked area. As part of the project, the CNR-IRBIM monitoring station in Ancona stands out for the peculiarity of its position, located in the stretch of sea potentially affected by the establishment of the Conero Marine Protected Area.