Dear MarMam Community, On behalf of my co-authors, we are pleased to share our recent paper titled "Underwater noise modeling of Arctic shipping scenarios in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut: Assessing acoustic conditions in narwhal habitat". This article was recently published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. Here is the link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X2600929X.
Abstract: Increasing commercial shipping in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut, has reshaped low-frequency ocean soundscapes, necessitating tools that quantify vessel noise contributions and mitigation potential. Here, we combine passive acoustic measurements from Eclipse Sound in 2023 with propagation modeling to derive monopole source levels (MSLs) from 289 unique transits, validate spatiotemporal noise model predictions, and map noise exposure across vessel transit case studies. Cargo vessels dominated encounters (*n* = 251; 63-Hz mean MSL = 157.8 dB re 1 μPa·m), while tankers had the highest MSLs (170.1 dB re 1 μPa·m at 63 Hz) despite a low sample size. Spatiotemporal underwater noise models (error < ±3 dB) were generated and validated for six transit scenarios: conventional and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) SILENT-E two-vessel convoys, conventional and SILENT-E single-vessel transits, and loaded and unloaded transits of the same vessel. Case studies contrasted conventional vs. DNV SILENT-E single transits and loaded vs. unloaded passages, revealing frequency-dependent noise impacts (10–20 dB excess at 63 Hz vs. 2–10 dB at 1,000 Hz). This enabled comparisons of quiet-design, loading optimization, and convoy routing scenarios relevant to Arctic underwater noise management amid rising shipping activity. Citation: Johnson, K. H., V. M. ZoBell, K. H. Westdal, A. J. Ootoowak, K. E. Frasier, and J. M. Jones. 2026. Underwater noise modeling of Arctic shipping scenarios in Eclipse Sound, Nunavut: Assessing acoustic conditions in narwhal habitat. Marine Pollution Bulletin 233:120142. Best, Katrina Johnson -- *Katrina Johnson* (she/her) PhD Candidate, Scripps Machine Listening Lab <https://sioml.ucsd.edu/> Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Ritter Hall 101
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