Mon acumen: An acoustic monitoring network within mediterranean ports

MON ACUMEN is an EU-funded project within the cooperation project Interreg Italy France Maritme, involving Leghorn, Cagliari, Mar Ligure Orientale port authorities, AR-PAT (environmental protection agency of Tuscany region) and Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Bas-a et de la Haute-Corse. The aim of the project is to realize the first cross-border network for environmental noise monitoring in ports. Several devices will be set up in Leghorn, Bastia, Cagliari and La Spezia, needing a specific tuning of software in order to analyse peculiar activities carried out in each port. A preliminary analysis of ports characteristics will allow the identification of continuous monitoring stations locations: these stations will provide a real time noise impact, allowing preventing criticalities and subsequent complaints. The monitoring network will provide authorities with data for noise mapping and action plan according to 2002/49/EC Directive, including port activities noise and not only induced traffic noise. Moreover, being a cross-border network, actions could be planned at a cross-border level, allowing an effective management and mitigation of environmental noise.