AquaPLAN at Forum Acusticum 2025

AquaPLAN was well represented at Forum Acusticum – Euronoise 2025! The convention of the European Acoustics Association (EAA), takes place every three years. With a programme that focuses on the most recent advancements and trends in acoustics, it was inevitable that AquaPLAN would have contributions!

Presenting on Tuesday 24 June, during the session ‘Effects of Multimodal Stimuli on Wildlife’ was AquaPLAN researcher, Martina Mulas from University of Pisa (UNIPI) in Italy. Martina presented AquaPLAN research ‘Low-frequency continuous noise within the Posidonia oceanica key coastal ecosystem: Preliminary results from the north-western Mediterranean,’ co-authored by AquaPLAN coordinator Elena Maggi, fellow UNIPI researcher Lucia Pini, and AquaPLAN researchers Francesca Rossi, Francesco Caruso and Sara Ferri from Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), please see abstract PDF for more details.

Her talk was followed by fellow AquaPLAN researcher Hans Slabbekoorn from Leiden University (ULEI) in the Netherlands, with his talk titled ‘Anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night: Additive and interactive effects on activity level and spatial behaviour,’ co-authored by fellow ULEI researchers Christina May, Lisa Dörner, Danielle Crowley, Kees te Velde and Christian Tudorache, please see abstract PDF for more details.

AquaPLAN and our sister project PLAN-B Project organised the session on the ‘Effects of Multimodal Stimuli on Wildlife.’ During the session, PLAN-B researchers Dick Botteldooren and Shreyas Rangaswamy Chandrashekar also presented their latest acoustic research ‘Towards Large-Scale Environmental Noise Mapping in Europe’s Natural Areas,’ see abstract PDF and ‘Sound communication interference weighting for terrestrial animals,’ see abstract PDF.

Forum Acusticum – Euronoise 2025 runs from 23-26 June 2025 in Malaga, Spain. Coinciding with the conference, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published their report Environmental Noise in Europe 2025 on 23 June 2025. The EEA report is the most comprehensive analysis of environmental noise pollution in Europe, based on reporting by EEA Member States under the EU’s Environmental Noise Directive. It examines the effects of noise on biodiversity and protected natural areas in addition to its effects on human health. The report finds that at least 29% of Natura 2000 protected areas in Europe experience noise levels that could impact the behaviours of terrestrial wildlife. While underwater noise pollution continues from shipping, offshore development and marine exploration, disrupting marine life, especially species like whales and dolphins that depend on sound to survive. The English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar, portions of the Adriatic Sea, the Dardanelles Strait, and certain Baltic Sea regions are among the European locations with the highest levels of underwater noise exposure.

Learn more