Underwater noise from offshore windfarm construction, explosives, seismic surveys and other activities may disturb or even harm marine mammals and fish. HiDef can offer full noise assessments for marine projects including EIA/HRA chapters and appendices, pre/post-construction digital, visual and acoustic monitoring, noise measurement and modelling, and real-time mitigation.
HiDef’s experienced marine mammal scientists can help you understand the environmental implications of your project and assist with predicting, mitigating and assessing these impacts in a real-world scenario. HiDef has experience providing marine mammal EIA and HRA chapters and technical appendices (e.g. baseline, acoustic impact assessment, iPCoD modelling, cumulative impacts) for a variety of UK, European and Australian windfarms.
We support our clients by developing robust Marine Mammal Mitigation Plans (MMMPs) compliant with relevant national guidelines for real-time monitoring and mitigation of acoustic impacts. Our MMMPs are always project-specific, taking into consideration our client’s unique operational and environmental considerations, and often use Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs), Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) or Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs).
HiDef also undertakes pre/during/post-construction monitoring for marine mammals. In addition to using Digital Aerial Surveys to monitor distribution and abundance for baseline characterisation and to assess changes pre/post construction, HiDef has an experienced team who can provide Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) using C-PODs/F-PODs for echolocating mammals such as porpoise and dolphins and/or noise recorders for lower frequency vocalisations from dolphins and whales to assess environmental drivers of mammal presence and behaviour. This also enables assessment of ambient noise and soundscape within an area.
In addition to HiDef’s in-house capacity, we can also draw on extensive experience from our sister company BioConsult SH BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG: BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG , who have performed marine mammal monitoring at the majority of German windfarm sites, as well as external partners who are leading experts in predictive modelling and subsequent measurement of construction and operational underwater noise.
HiDef is committed to sustainable offshore development. Our mission is to help offshore wind developers navigate the complexities of environmental regulations while championing the conservation of marine biodiversity. HiDef will support you to achieve project goals responsibly and sustainably.
Ready to ensure your project meets the highest environmental standards? Contact our team today for expert advice and tailored solutions to support your marine mammal and ornithology consenting requirements.
