Speaker
Description
The INFN-LNS operates advanced deep-sea electro-optical infrastructures in the southeast of Sicily at the Portopalo site, supporting multidisciplinary research activities. These infrastructures were mainly installed for powering, control of deep-sea observatories and real-time data transmission. The existing optical fibers can also be exploited for optoacoustic sensing techniques. In this direction, within the framework of the LOWNOISER project, an ASN OptoDAS system has been deployed at the Portopalo site on a 96 km long optical fiber, acquiring data continuously since June 2025. At the end of the cable, an array of hydrophones is also connected to the same infrastructure, providing an opportunity to complement and calibrate the DAS measurements. The aim of this project is to assess the impact of underwater radiated noise from shipping on marine biology, with particular focus on fin whales. INFN-LNS also operates an Automatic Identification System (AIS) in the same area to monitor vessel traffic. This allows us to study possible correlations between shipping activity and fin whale vocalizations. Preliminary analyses of the acquired data will be presented, including the automatic detection of fin whale vocalizations using matched filtering techniques. In addition, some recorded acoustic signals will be presented, together with the strategy adopted for long-term data storage and management