Marine soundscapes of the Arctic and human impacts: going beyond the “shipping bands”

Philippe Blondel; Rhys Belcher; Dylan Cooper

doi:10.1038/s44384-025-00038-1

Marine soundscapes of the Arctic and human impacts: going beyond the “shipping bands”

Philippe Blondel, Rhys Belcher, Dylan Cooper

Drexel University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

In the Arctic, amplified climate change enables increased human activity, adding to sounds in the ocean. Future guidelines need to know local baselines and how best to measure anthropogenic impacts. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive uses “shipping bands”, third-octave bands centred on 63 Hz and 125 Hz. Addressing the lack of measurements, acoustic models often use satellite recordings of ship tracks, We investigate sound levels in Cambridge Bay (Nunavut, Canada) between 2015 and 2024, comparing May (full ice cover, no shipping) and August (little to no ice, shipping activity). We show “shipping bands” should include frequencies up to several kHz and sounds include snowmobiles, aircraft and small vessels untracked by satellites. This will need addressing in future guidelines. This is particularly important because of the development of Arctic shipping routes, increasing resource exploration and tourism, amplified by current plans for the expansion of mining, drilling and other geostrategic pressures.

Original language	English
Article number	3
Number of pages	12
Journal	npj Acoustics
Volume	2
Early online date	9 Jan 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44384-025-00038-1
Publication status	Published - 9 Jan 2026

Data Availability Statement

The acoustic data that support this study are available from the Oceans 3.0 Data Portal of Ocean Networks Canada ([https://data.oceannetworks.ca/home)). Local ice cover is available from the Ocean 3.0 Data Portal. Regional ice data is provided by the Canadian Ice Service ([https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/ice-forecasts-observations/latest-conditions/products-guides/chart-descriptions.html)). Wind speeds from the Cambridge Bay A weather station were downloaded from the Canadian Government website [https://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_e.html). The AIS records of ship types and movements are available from the Arctic Ship Traffic Database (ASTD), coordinated by the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) Working Group of the Arctic Council ([https://pame.is/ourwork/?it=projects/arctic-marine-shipping/astd)).

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ocean Networks Canada for their open-access provision of acoustic measurements and ancillary data.

Funding

Access to the Arctic Ship Traffic Database was funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, as part of the United Kingdom - Arctic Council Working Groups – Research and Engagement Scheme 2024/25, working with the Arctic Council Working Groups, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NERC Arctic Office.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s44384-025-00038-1Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Blondel_et_al-2026-npj_AcousticsFinal published version, 2.74 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Shipping and Human Impacts for Marine Arctic Sustainability (SHIMASU)
Blondel, P. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
15/07/24 → 31/03/25
Project: Research council

Cite this

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Marine soundscapes of the Arctic and human impacts: going beyond the “shipping bands”

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Projects

Shipping and Human Impacts for Marine Arctic Sustainability (SHIMASU)

Cite this