Underwater noise is an increasingly pressing issue for the health of our ocean. Human activities such as shipping, offshore construction and seismic surveys are making the marine environment noisier, affecting whales, dolphins, fish and other marine life. As concerns grow about the ecological impact, researchers, policymakers and industry are exploring ways to better understand and reduce this invisible form of pollution.
An international group of scientists involved in the International Quiet Ocean Experiment gathered for a final meeting at the InnovOcean campus in Ostend from 22 till 24 September 2026 (Photo: Peter Tyack).
Within that perspective, VLIZ hosted the final meeting of ‘The International Quiet Ocean Experiment’ (IQOE) at the InnovOcean campus in Ostend from 22 till 24 September 2026. In the presence of a group of world experts on the topic, the participants looked back at a decade of IQOE, an initiative designed to stimulate efforts on global ocean sound monitoring, bringing together an international community of ocean acousticians and bio-acousticians and looking forward. Early career scientists played a prominent role throughout the meeting and emphasize was put on strengthening participation of middle- and low-income countries, with the aim of fostering a more inclusive and globally representative community for ocean sound research and monitoring.
Another important outcome of this week is that, building on ten years of knowledge and experience within IQOE, the group has collectively looked ahead and has established renewed working groups to take the next steps within the field of Ocean Passive Acoustics, with Ocean Sound as an Essential Ocean Variable (EOV).
Peter Tyack, a world expert in Cetaceans and marine acoustics, concludes: "An international group of ocean scientists has just completed an exciting meeting to chart the future of ocean passive acoustics. We leave the meeting with strong energy to organize global observations of ocean sound to measure variables critical for monitoring climate and ocean health."
For VLIZ, underwater experts Elisabeth Debusschere, Clea Parcerisas, Arienne Calonge and Bram Cuyx: “This was a truly inspiring week, sharing the enthusiasm for ocean acoustics with the international community and discussing the way forward. It was also a great opportunity to align efforts and goals in the community".
Prior to the IQOE meeting, the SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) working group ‘GLUBS’ (Global Library for Underwater Biological Sounds) had a 2-day workshop at VLIZ, discussing the work being done over the last three years and the activities for the near future.
For more information, watch the interview with Jesse Ausubel (Rockefeller University, NY), founder of IQOE and present at the Ostend meeting.
