AT-22-08: Sediment-borne Wave Disturbances and Propagation and Potential Effects on Benthic Fauna

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the physical properties of substrate-borne wave disturbances and propagation through the sediment from offshore wind project installation and operation, and to predict the potential effects on benthic fauna. Although environmental impacts from substrate-borne particle motion from pile driving have been widely recognized as potential major effects on marine benthic organisms, very little research has been conducted to address these types of vibroacoustic disturbances (Popper & Hawkins, 2018; Hawkins et al., 2021). Therefore, the proposed study reflects ESP’s vision statement to be “first in class” in being the best research program possible in the context of BOEM’s mission and constraints. In addition, though this study is proposed to address substrate-borne vibroacoustic characteristics and propagation from offshore wind farm construction (pile driving), results from this study have wide application for many marine engineering activities that are coupled with seabed, such as subsea drilling and dredging, offshore structure removal, and UXO detonation.

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