Calibration and Characterization of Autonomous Recorders Used in the Measurement of Underwater Noise.

The use of autonomous recorders is motivated by the need to monitor underwater noise, such as in response to the requirements of the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The performance of these systems is a crucial factor governing the quality of the measured data, providing traceability for future underwater noise-monitoring programs aimed at the protection of the marine environment from anthropogenic noise. In this paper, a discussion is presented of measurement methodologies for the key acoustic performance characteristics of the recorders, including self-noise, dynamic range, and the absolute sensitivity as a function of frequency of the hydrophone and recorder system.