OSPAR Science Agenda Knowledge Gap Portal
Welcome to the OSPAR Science Agenda knowledge gap portal. The page showcases important scientific questions and evidence needs identified by OSPAR to help protect and sustainably manage the North-East Atlantic. Use the filters and search options below to explore knowledge gaps by topic, category, region, and status, or browse visually to discover areas where new research, data, or collaborations are needed. The aim is to make it easy for anyone - scientists, funders, and policy makers to understand the current priorities, access key details, and get involved in helping to close these important gaps for a healthier ocean future.
Showing 1 - 22 of 22 items
Impacts from noise on marine mammals
ID Number: BB31.17
Knowledge gap description: There is a need to consider the potential impacts of noise on marine mammals from offshore wind developments, particularly impulsive noise from pile driving of foundations.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D1C2, D11C2, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Marine Mammals Thematic Assessment
Impacts from human activities on blue whale
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Impact of human activities such as shipping, underwater noise, entanglement and contaminants on species
Knowledge Gap Category:
5. cumulative effects & integration
Assessment Category:
Status assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D1C2, D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status Assessment 2020 - Blue Whale
Direct impact of noise on food webs
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Noise (impulsive, continuous): Little is known about the direct impact on food webs.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D4C1, D4C2, D4C3, D4C4
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Food webs Thematic Assessment
Underwater distribution and effects of noise
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Noise (impulsive, continuous): Underwater distribution and noise effects are unknown.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D4C1, D4C2, D4C3, D4C4
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Food webs Thematic Assessment
Impact of aquatic noise and electromagnetic fields on diadromous fish
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Lack of knowledge on impact of aquatic noise, electromagnetic fields on diadromous fish behaviour
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Status assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status Assessment 2022 - Allis shad
Uncertainties in modelled estimates of impulsive sounds for North Sea harbour porpoise
ID Number: BE04.04
Knowledge gap description: Despite best available data for North Sea harbour porpoise being used, there are substantial uncertainties in these modelled estimates which are even greater for other species, which translate into uncertainties in the assessment.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Common indicator assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Risk of Impact from Anthropogenic Impulsive Sound
More precise assesment of risk impact from impulsive noise
ID Number: BE04.06
Knowledge gap description: More specific data on the responses of selected species to noise sources in the registry (e.g., dose-response curves for each source/receptor combination) may allow for a more precise assessment of the risk of impact.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Common indicator assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Risk of Impact from Anthropogenic Impulsive Sound
Impacts of noise on marine mammals, fish and invertebrate species
ID Number: BE04.07
Knowledge gap description: This assessment of the indicator covers only harbour porpoise. Future assessments may encompass further marine mammal species, and fish or invertebrate species.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Common indicator assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Risk of Impact from Anthropogenic Impulsive Sound
Effects of continuous noise on marine life
ID Number: BE09.01
Knowledge gap description: The major knowledge gaps for continuous noise concern the effects of continuous noise on marine life, both individual animals and the whole population. The choice of species to assess in the North Sea needs to be made based on objective criteria.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
1. indicator development
Assessment Category:
Pilot assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Pilot Assessment of Ambient Noise
Improving methods for monitoring and assessing continuous noise
ID Number: BE09.03
Knowledge gap description: The method for monitoring and assessment can be improved by including more sources of continuous noise with a proper description of their source strength.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
3. assessment areas
Assessment Category:
Pilot assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Pilot Assessment of Ambient Noise
Assessing effects of continuous noise in shallow waters
ID Number: BE09.04
Knowledge gap description: The models used for this assessment are not suited to very shallow water (less than 10 metre water depth) and intertidal areas. More knowledge on the pressure and effects of continuous noise in shallow waters is needed.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Pilot assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Pilot Assessment of Ambient Noise
Cumulative impact of noise on the ecosystem
ID Number: BE09.06
Knowledge gap description: There is lack of knowledge concerning the cumulative impact on the ecosystem of noise from human activities.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
7. emerging issues of human activities
Assessment Category:
Pilot assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Pilot Assessment of Ambient Noise
Threshold values for underwater noise
ID Number: BE04.01
Knowledge gap description: It remains uncertain what the effect from impulsive sound means at the population or ecosystem scale. As yet there is no agreed definition of good environmental status for underwater noise. There are not yet agreed threshold values for underwater noise.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
2. thresholds & references
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Long-term trends in noise level
ID Number: BE04.02
Knowledge gap description: For both impulsive and continuous noise, it is not yet possible to establish any definitive long-term trends in noise levels, including since the Quality Status Report 2010.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
6. effectiveness of measures
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
TBD
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Assessment methodology on sources of underwater noise
ID Number: BE04.04
Knowledge gap description: The assessment methodology does not include sources other than shipping and fishing vessels with automatic identification or vessel monitoring systems.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
TBD
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Continuous noise measurment and modelling
ID Number: BE04.05
Knowledge gap description: Both field measurements and the acoustic modelling for pressure from continuous noise could be improved.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
TBD
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Actual sound level from impulsive noise
ID Number: BE04.07
Knowledge gap description: The OSPAR Common Indicator for the Pressure from Impulsive Noise does not at this stage take account of actual sound level, as this information is only available for some activities.
Topics:
Knowledge Gap Category:
1. indicator development
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
TBD
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Noise from tidal energy
ID Number: BE04.11
Knowledge gap description: The noise effects of offshore energy sources other than wind power, such as tidal energy, are not fully understood due to a lack of field studies to date and the challenges of monitoring in high tidal flow environments.
Knowledge Gap Category:
7. emerging issues of human activities
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
TBD
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Non airgun geophysical surveys
ID Number: BE04.13
Knowledge gap description: More information needed on non airgun geophysical surveys sources with regard to their source characteristics and effects on marine life
Knowledge Gap Category:
1. indicator development
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
N/A
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Sources of underwater noise
ID Number: BE04.14
Knowledge gap description: More information needed on OSPAR RAP-Noise Action 7 on other sources with regard to their source characteristics and effects on marine life
Knowledge Gap Category:
1. indicator development
Assessment Category:
Thematic assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Underwater Noise Thematic Assessment
Continuous noise from shipping and impact of different designs and operations on environment.
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Continous noise from shipping needs more research to understand the impact of different designs, operations, and environmental impacts.
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Other assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Feeder Report 2021 - Shipping and Ports
Impact of underwater noise and electromagnetic fields on Allis shad
ID Number: TBC
Knowledge gap description: Lack of knowledge on impact of aquatic noise, electromagnetic fields on diadromous fish behaviour
Knowledge Gap Category:
4. data coverage
Assessment Category:
Status assessment
Relevant for MSFD Art 8:
D11C1, D11C2
Implementation Status
OSPAR Region: All Regions
Source of knowledge gap: QSR2023 - Status Assessment 2022 - Allis shad