• Seismic Surveys & Airguns

    A seismic survey is conducted when compressed air streams or focused sonic waves are sent towards the ocean floor in order to gauge the depth, location and structure of the valuable geophysical resources that lie underneath.  Scientists confirm that seismic surveys increase noise levels to twice the normal level and impact marine life by disturbing their habits essential for survival. One of the biggest culprits of underwater noise is the technique used during seismic surveys to prospect for oil and gas offshore. Companies use high-volume air guns that are so loud, you can see the water rise and fall when the guns go off.  The devices, towed behind vessels that trace grids on the ocean surface, emit blasts of compressed air that both energy companies and conservationists acknowledge are at least as loud as a roaring jet engine. The use of airguns unavoidably results in noise pollution in the surrounding area. The acoustic impacts on marine mammals associated with seismic surveys for oil & gas can be reduced if frequently mitigated with the use of passive acoustics. To ensure that marine mammals are not harmed when in the close vicinity of these activities, regulatory authorities request so-called mitigation measures for their protection. One of such measures requires airguns to be switched off when whales approach the respective sound source too closely.

  • Pipeline Leak Detection

    Hydrophones can be used as acoustic leak detectors because they identify the sound or vibration induced by water escaping from pipelines under pressure. When pressurized water leaks from a pipe it creates a sound or an acoustic signal that can travel through both the pipe wall and the water column in the pipeline. Most of the existing acoustic leak-detection techniques rely on external measurements of sound emitted from the turbulent jet of water escaping the pipe.

  • Machine Health Monitoring

    Hydrophones can be used to monitor the health of underwater machinery. Attaching a hydrophone is not only beneficial for monitoring the health of the machine, but also for the operator as the hydrophone becomes an additional sensor. The hydrophone as a sensor can help provide direction as sound will indicate when the operator has run the machine into an object underwater and has to manoeuvre around it.