Underwater noise level in Klaipėda Strait, Lithuania

Underwater noise is an issue with rising importance in the Klaipėda Strait, as man-made activity grows in this area. The article presents methods and results of the first attempt to measure underwater noise in the Klaipėda Strait connecting the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. Emphasis is placed on the background underwater noise in the area, where vessels traffic makes its general contribution to it. Dredging and vibro-pile driving noise have been studied as contributors to the background noise as well. Comparison of background noise in the Klaipėda Strait and an unaffected Curonian Lagoon area is given. Possible impacts of underwater noise on migrating fish species are shortly discussed.