Seismic surveys increasingly operate in deeper Arctic waters with propagation conditions and a marine mammal fauna different from better-studied temperate or shallow-water regions. Therefore we quantified the noise contributions from four concurrent seismic surveys in Baffin Bay, Greenland, to estimate their
potential impacts on Arctic marine mammals using calibrated 31 sound recorders. The impact was cumulative as the noise level rose in response to the onset of each survey: On a minute-to-minute scale the sound exposure levels varied with up to 70 dB (20 dB on average), depending on range to the seismic vessel, local bathymetry effects and interference patterns, showing a significant change in the auditory scene for marine mammals. The measured values matched well with pre-season modeling, emphasizing the value of noise modeling in impact assessments, if species-specific responses of focal marine mammals are known.
The results of the study is discussed in relation to the current regulation of underwater noise in Greenland with focus on the NOW Polynya.