TUNE: a nimble Tool for Underwater Noise Evaluation

Descriptor 11 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC; MFSD) requires the assessment of energy inputs into the marine environment, including underwater sound. Criterion D11C2 specifically addresses continuous sound, such as low-frequency noise originated by ships. A variety of commercially available software exists to compute acoustic metrics, including sound pressure levels and power spectral densities. Certain software programs charge a fee, while others may not perform accurately with low-frequency data. This work introduces TUNE (Tool for Underwater Noise Evaluation), a standalone application designed in MATLAB. TUNE is freely accessible to the scientific community. It is designed to meet MSFD requirements. TUNE processes audio files of any length and in .wav format allowing users to upload calibration files specific to each recording chain. Considering these key-properties, TUNE proves a useful tool for obtaining reliable as well as absolute measurements. Among other, both root-mean-square as well as zero-to-peak sound pressure levels (dB re 1 µPa) can be assessed. Outputs are .jpeg files as well as .txt files, that are easily stored and imported into other applications e.g. for advanced statistical analysis. We demonstrate TUNE workflow and prove its ease of use. We present output metrics and parameters to be set. Stay TUNEd!