The issue of the environmental impact of shipping activities is treated in this work from the specific viewpoint of underwater noise emissions from the vessels. There has been recently a rising concern about the negative effects that this kind of emissions can have on the marine wildlife in general and in particular on marine mammals. In these animals, acoustic communication and perception has acquired a privileged role compared with other senses and other zoological groups. The paper examines the role in this scenario of noise emissions from shipping and explores how their impact can be quantified, in order to establish a target for the control of such emissions. The standards recently issued for the characterisation of underwater noise signature by commercial vessels are also reviewed. The paper builds on the first results of the project SILENV, funded with the 7th Framework programme of the European Union. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

partendo dai recenti sviluppi normativi riguardanti le emissioni di rumore in acqua da navi si prendono in considerazione i problemi esistenti nella formulazione di limiti di rumore irradiato in acqua secondo criteri obiettivi e nella loro verifica.