Comparison of surface radar traffic density contact records to receive levels from separate acoustic data sets

The Office of Naval Research is planning an underwater system of acoustic and environmental sensors, termed the Acoustic Observatory, at a site located off of Dania, Florida. It will enable researchers to make acoustic measurements and evaluate signal processing techniques in an ocean environment with downward refracting propagation, low loss bottom, and high levels of vessel traffic noise. As part of the site selection and evaluation process, vessel traffic was recorded using a state-of-the-art logging radar for a period of one week concurrent with recording of omnidirectional noise on hydrophones at two locations in water depths of 145 and 262 meters. Data were processed to provide a characterization of noise and traffic statistics and patterns relative to the Acoustic Observatory site. Differences in noise between the two sites, and correlations between vessel traffic and noise are presented.