Regional Webinar on Underwater Noise in the Mediterranean

The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) in cooperation with UNEP/MAP Partner OceanCare is organizing a Regional Webinar on Underwater Noise on the 29^th of May 2026. 

The ocean is predominantly an acoustic environment where sound plays a critical role in the survival of marine life. Many marine species rely on sound for essential biological functions, including communication, navigation, reproduction, foraging, and predator avoidance. However, increasing levels of anthropogenic noise are significantly altering this environment. Growing scientific evidence indicates that underwater noise adversely affects marine organisms across the entire food web from plankton and invertebrates to fish and marine mammals, thereby posing a serious threat to marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Commercial shipping represents the primary source of URN in the ocean today, with wide-ranging and harmful impacts on marine life. At the same time, a range of technical and operational measures is available to substantially reduce such noise emissions, offering viable pathways for mitigation.

Thus, this webinar aims to provide targeted information and enhance the capacity of Contracting Parties on underwater radiated noise, with a particular focus on: 

1. Technical aspects of underwater noise, its ecological impacts, and available mitigation measures;
2. The application of the newly adopted IMAP Common Indicators on underwater noise, including thresholds and possible ways forward within the UNEP/MAP framework;
3. The characteristics and capabilities of the NAVISON project developed by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA);
4. Relevant international initiatives, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO) work on underwater radiated noise (e.g. Glonoise project and the revised IMO guidelines – MEPC.1/Circ.906/Rev.1 (2024) – and its associated action plan);
5. Ongoing work by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS); and
6. The High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean and its role in advancing global cooperation on ocean noise reduction.

The target audience for this webinar are the experts and stakeholders in marine protection, maritime transport, and environmental policy.

We urge you to be part of the conversation driving a quieter, healthier Mediterranean by registering your participation through the Online Registration Form by no later than Monday 25^th May 2026.