Beneath the Surface: The Growing Challenge of Underwater Noise

Thursday 12 November 2026

6pm in person at The Winchester Rooms

Mint Yard, The Square, Winchester SO23 9EX

The Southern Branch invites you to a presentation about underwater acoustics. This time, we are going back to our Winchester roots for an evening of learning and networking.

Especially over the last couple of decades, there has been increasing regulatory interest in the world of underwater noise. Despite a lack of British Standards guidance, consultants are still expected to predict the impact of an increasing number of offshore and river-based human developments on non-human life in the water. And occasionally humans too.

Humans have had a growing influence on the underwater sound environment since the Industrial Revolution and the advent of propeller-driven vessels. For many years, this increasing noise went largely unnoticed by the people making it, and the potential impacts on marine life went unnoticed for even longer. Lately, regulators have taken notice, and there are now a handful of ISO standards and industry guidance documents, together with an expectation that new offshore developments take a close look at the potential impacts of underwater noise on the environment. Indeed, underwater noise assessments for marine mammals can be among the more controversial and challenged parts of an offshore EIA, perhaps second only to ornithology.

Tim Mason has been a Principal Consultant at Subacoustech Environmental Ltd for over 15 years. Subacoustech has been operating since 1993, primarily in underwater acoustics research and development. In 2008, sister company Subacoustech Environmental was formed as one of the first environmental consultancies dedicated to assessing the impacts of underwater sound, providing modelling and measurement services to industry.

Tim will take you through some common underwater noise projects, the guidance used in the UK and internationally, the mitigation options available and some of the pitfalls encountered along the way. 

As always, the event is free to members of the IoA, as well as to students and the public. CPD certification will be offered for attendance, wait for the QR code that will be shown at the end of the presentation.

This event is in person only and will neither be streamed nor recorded.

If you have any queries, please contact the branch through ioa@ioa.org.uk.

For registration, follow this link: https://www.cpdtag.com/app.php?event=EAD7BDA0194E3F0DC4A8350E4D07200