Characterization of underwater sounds produced by hydraulic and mechanical dredging operations

Sound recordings were made of two dredging operations at hydrophone depths of 3 and 9.1 m at distances up to 1.2 km from the source in shallow waters (<15 m) of New York Harbor. Sound sources included rock fracturing by a hydraulic cutterhead dredge and six distinct sources associated with a mechanical backhoe dredging operation during rock excavation. To place sound emitted from these dredges in perspective with other anthropogenic sounds, recordings were also made of several deep-draft commercial vessels. Results are presented as sound pressure levels (SPLs) in one-third octave versus range across the 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency band. To address concerns for protection of fishery resource occupying the harbor, SPL were examined at frequency bands of 50–1000 Hz and 100–400 Hz, the ranges where the majority of fishes without hearing specializations detect sound and the range of greatest sensitivity, respectively. Source levels (dB re 1 μPa-1 m rms) were back calculated using fitted regression (15LogR). The strongest sound sources (180–188.9 dB) were emitted by commercial shipping. Rock fracturing produced a source level of 175 dB, whereas six distinct sources associated with rock excavation had source levels ranging from 164.2 to 179.4 dB re 1 μPa-1 m (rms).