What is CetSound?

CetSound, or Cetacean & Sound Mapping, consists of two mapping tools: CetMap and SoundMap. Both tools aim to assist in evaluating the impacts of man-made noise on cetacean species, which include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

What is CetMap?

CetMap is a mapping tool that provides cetacean density and distribution maps that are time-, region- and species-specific. These maps use survey data and models that estimate density using predictive environmental factors. To provide additional context for impact analyses, CetMap also identifies known areas of specific importance for cetaceans, such as reproductive areas, feeding areas, migratory corridors, and areas in which small or resident populations are concentrated.

What is SoundMap?

SoundMap is a mapping tool that provides maps of the temporal, spatial, and frequency characteristics of man-made underwater noise resulting from various activities. SoundMap provides two types of products:

1. Annual average sound fields arising from multiple source types, available on a regional to ocean-basin scale.
2. Shorter-term example "events", which offer a more comprehensive representations of local sound fields during periods of noisy activity.