HABITATS: DEVELOPMENTS IN MANAGING THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF NOISE ON WILDLIFE HABITATS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The Habitats project integrates research in the fields of ecological impacts and environmental noise to facilitate development of management tools and processes needed for sustainable development. This conference paper summarises the content and outcomes of a workshop at the University of Salford on 15th December 2022, focused on the development of a UK network on anthropogenic noise impact assessment in wildlife. Topics covered included biodiversity assessment using acoustic techniques, behavioural changes in different systems, industrial and consultancy best practices, and the formation of a network for support and funding for subsequent workshops and projects. Participants discussed the difficulty of methods standardisation, the importance of characterising anthropogenic noise exposure of wildlife, and the potential use and improvement of sensors and robotics in producing reliable datasets. The workshop identified topics for further discussion, including the repeatability and reproducibility of research on noise impact assessment in wildlife, linking stressors to end points, and the potential to use evolutionary changes in anatomy to predict species differences in hearing. The summary perspectives from industry, academia and government provided an important step in defining the knowledge gap between the state-of-the-art and societal need. Overall, the workshop concluded that the creation of an international, collaborative, multi-disciplinary network of experts is a key step in developing a comprehensive framework for assessing.