Tidally driven currents and bed stresses can result in noise generated by moving sediments. At a site in Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington State (USA), peak bed stresses exceed 20 Pa. Significant increases in noise levels are attributed to mobilized sediments at frequencies from 4–30 kHz with more modest increases noted from 1–4 kHz. Sediment-generated noise during strong currents masks background noise from other sources, including vessel traffic. Inversions of the acoustic spectra for equivalent grain sizes are consistent with qualitative data of the seabed composition. Bed stress calculations using log layer, Reynolds stress, and inertial dissipation techniques generally agree well and are used to estimate the shear stresses at which noise levels increase for different grain sizes. Regressions of the acoustic intensity versus near-bed hydrodynamic power demonstrate that noise levels are highly predictable above a critical threshold despite the scatter introduced by the localized nature of mobilization events.

One calendar year of Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship-traffic data was paired with hydrophone recordings to assess ambient noise in northern Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, WA (USA) and to quantify the contribution of vessel traffic. The study region included inland waters of the Salish Sea within a 20 km radius of the hydrophone deployment site. Spectra and hourly, daily, and monthly ambient noise statistics for unweighted broadband (0.02–30 kHz) and marine mammal, or M-weighted, sound pressure levels showed variability driven largely by vessel traffic. Over the calendar year, 1363 unique AIS transmitting vessels were recorded, with at least one AIS transmitting vessel present in the study area 90% of the time. A vessel noise budget was calculated for all vessels equipped with AIS transponders. Cargo ships were the largest contributor to the vessel noise budget, followed by tugs and passenger vessels. A simple model to predict received levels at the site based on an incoherent summation of noise from different vessels resulted in a cumulative probability density function of broadband sound pressure levels that shows good agreement with 85% of the temporal data.

Field measurements of turbulence are presented from two sites in Puget Sound, WA, that are proposed for electrical power generation using tidal current turbines. Time series data from multiple acoustic Doppler instruments are analyzed to obtain statistical measures of fluctuations in both the magnitude and direction of the tidal currents. The resulting turbulence intensities (i.e., the turbulent velocity fluctuations normalized by the deterministic tidal currents) are typically 10% at the hub heights (i.e., the relevant depth) of the proposed turbines. Length and time scales of the turbulence are also analyzed. Large-scale, anisotropic eddies dominate the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) spectra, which may be the result of proximity to headlands at each site. At small scales, an isotropic turbulent cascade is observed and used to estimate the dissipation rate of TKE, which is shown to balance with shear production. Data quality and sampling parameters are discussed, with an emphasis on the removal of Doppler noise from turbulence statistics. The results are relevant to estimating the performance and fatigue of tidal turbines.

Field measurements of the underwater acoustic signature of Columbia Power Technologies (Columbia Power) SeaRay wave energy converter (WEC) prototype are presented. The device was deployed in the vicinity of West Point (Puget Sound, Washington State) at a depth of approximately 20 meters. The 1/7th scale SeaRay prototype is a heave and surge, point absorber secured to the seabed with a three-point mooring. Acoustic measurements were made in order to satisfy permit requirements and assure that marine life is not adversely affected. A series of one-minute hydrophone recordings were collected on March 30, 2011 for approximately 4 hours. During these recordings, significant wave height varied from 0.4 to 0.7 m, peak wave periods varied from 2.9 to 3.2 seconds, and southerly winds varied from 5 to 10 m s^-1. These are approximately twice the amplitude of typical operating conditions for the SeaRay in Puget Sound. Shipping vessel and ferry traffic levels also were typical. Received sound pressure levels during the experiment vary from 116 to 132 dB re 1 µPa in the integrated bands from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. At times, ship traffic dominates the signal, as determined from spectral characteristics and vessel proximity. Received sound pressure levels attributed to the WEC cycle from 116 to 126 dB re 1 µPa in the integrated bands from 60 Hz to 20 kHz at distances from 10 to 1500 m from the SeaRay. The cycling is well correlated with the peak wave period, including peaks and harmonics in the pressure spectral densities. Masking by ship noise prevents rigorous extrapolation to estimate the WEC source level at the conventional 1 m reference.

Ambient underwater acoustics data are presented for one year at a potential tidal energy site in Admiralty Inlet, WA (USA) with maximum currents exceeding 3 m/s. The site, at a depth of approximately 60 meters, is located near shipping lanes, a local ferry route, and a transit area for many cetacean species. A key finding is that the statistical distribution of total sound pressure levels are dependent on tidal currents at the site. Pseudosound, cobbles shifting on the sea bed, and vibrations induced by forces on the equipment are possible explanations. Non-propagating turbulent pressure fluctuations, termed pseudosound, can mask ambient noise, especially in highly energetic environments suitable for tidal energy development.

A statistical method identifies periods during which changes in the mean and standard deviation of the one-third octave band sound pressure levels are statistically significant and thus suggestive of pseudosound contamination. For each deployment, recordings with depth averaged tidal currents greater than 1 m/s are found to be contaminated, and only recordings with currents below this threshold are used in the subsequent ambient noise analysis. Mean total sound pressure levels (0.156 - 30 kHz) over all recordings are 117 dB re 1 micoPa. Total sound pressure levels exceed 100 dB re 1 microPa 99% of the time and exceed 135 dB re 1 microPa 4% of the time. Commercial shipping and ferry traffic are found to be the most significant contributors to ambient noise levels at the site, with secondary contributions from rain, wind, and marine mammal vocalizations. Post-processed data from an AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver is used to determine the location of ships during each recording.