BIAS was an EU LIFE+ project aimed to support the regional management of human-induced underwater noise in the Baltic Sea in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (Descriptor 11).
The main goal of BIAS is to establish a functional Baltic Sea implementation plan for Descriptor 11 based on the recommendations of TSG Noise, with regional standards, methodologies, and tools that facilitates cross-border handling of underwater sound. This goal will be achieved through a number of interlinked activities:
- Sound measurements over one year (2014) at 40 deployment sites across the Baltic Sea. The measurements, as well as the post processing of the field data, will be performed subject to standard field procedures, quality control and signal processing routines, all established in the project.
- Modelling of the Baltic Sea underwater sound in the project area based on the field measurements.
- Design of a GIS-based planning tool for handling the modelled soundscape maps and other information within the underwater noise management.
BIAS was coordinated by (FOI) and ran from 2012 until 2017. AquaBiota assisted FOI in the overall project administration and was responsible for compiling the input data to the soundscape modelling as well as for developing the GIS-based planning tool.
Further information about BIAS can be found at the project’s web site www.bias-project.eu
Selection of publications:
Nikolopoulos, A., Sigray, P., Andersson, M., Carlström, J. & Lalander, E. 2016: BIAS Implementation Plan – Monitoring and assessment guidance for continuous low frequency sound in the Baltic Sea. BIAS LIFE11 ENV/SE/841.
Folegot, T., Clorennec, D., Nikolopoulos, A., Fyhr, F., Andersson, M. & Sigray, P. 2017: Regional management of underwater noise made possible: an achievement of the BIAS project. In: Berkowitz, H. & Dumez, H. 2017 Racket in the Oceans: why underwater noise matters, how to measure it, and how to manage it. Observatory for responsible innovation / Palaiseau (France): i3-CRG (CNRS – ‘Ecole polytechnique). pp. 95-99. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11410.04807.
Fyhr F. and Nikolopoulos A. 2016: The BIAS soundscape planning tool for underwater continuous low frequency sound – User Guide.