Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Low-frequency noise generated by vibrating systems on board ships represents a ship's primary noise source during navigation. It affects the comfort of passengers and the quality of communication between crew members. Most importantly, it disturbs the behaviour of vulnerable marine mammals such as belugas and other whales, which use sound to communicate, navigate, feed and reproduce. Current vibration and noise reduction techniques do not fully address the acoustic isolation of low-frequency noise. The main objective of my research program is to develop innovative and practical solutions to low-frequency marine noise that disrupts biodiversity in the waters of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. It aims to test technologies, designs, retrofits and practices that make vessels quiet. The proposed program has a high potential for environmental benefits, is innovative and original, and involves the development of new environmentally friendly metamaterials and meta-plates with high acoustic dissipation at low frequencies to ensure that the next generation of ships adopts "quiet" technologies while ensuring safety, productivity and environmental performance. At the end of this research program, we believe that shipbuilders and marine transportation managers will be better equipped to ensure the maintenance and protection of marine biodiversity.