@article{Environmental:10663,
      author = {Byford, D and Rushton, H},
      url = {http://library.imarest.org/record/10663},
      journal = {Conference Proceedings of INEC},
      title = {Development of Environmental Mitigation Measures for the  Sound Sources of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)},
      abstract = {Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) will be vital to  support future Marine Research and enhance Defence  capabilities. As these new technologies emerge it is  important to ensure all possible environmental impacts have  been assessed and appropriately mitigated. Unmanned  Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and Autonomous Underwater  Vehicles can comprise of a wide variety of acoustic sensors  as can the accompanying survey ship. National and European  legislation is in place to protect habitats and species  from harm which includes the disturbance to marine mammals  (The Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species  Regulations, 2017; The Habitats Directive, 1992). Emission  of impulsive sound from acoustic sensors have the potential  to adversely impact marine mammals (Finneran, 2015; Harris,  et al., 2016). These impacts can range from general  disturbance to hearing damage when certain thresholds of  the received sounds are breached. In the most severe cases,  permanent shifts to hearing thresholds can occur (Southall,  et al., 2019). Understanding the environmental impact and  developing appropriate mitigation measures for UUVs and  AUVs will therefore ensure these new Defence capabilities  are minimising the impact to marine mammals whilst ensuring  Defence operations are not at risk. A first screening and  scoping study determined the environmental aspects and  impacts related to the sensors onboard AUVs procured in  Defence. Further analysis is being conducted to inform the  extent of the impact and to determine if any existing  mitigation strategies could be adopted and integrated into  the Standard Operating Procedures for planned AUV use and  exercises e.g. running bespoke Sonar Risk Assessments ahead  of deployments together with temporal (seasonal) and/or  spatial planning of operations. This paper explores the  environmental management techniques adopted to understand  the environmental impact and introduce mitigation measures  for future challenges related to the deployment of AUVs  such as the cumulative effects of multiple AUVs functioning  together and the deconfliction of other anthropogenic sound  sources.},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.24868/10663},
      recid = {10663},
      address = {2022-07-21},
}