Applied Marine Acoustics
NRTG’s MicroCourses provide a flexible and enriching pathway to build your skills and expertise — one focused, practical course at a time. Applied Marine Acoustics builds on foundational underwater sound concepts and focuses on how marine acoustics is applied in real-world monitoring, assessment, and mitigation contexts.
Marine environments are complex, and the way sound behaves underwater can vary significantly from one location to another. Environmental professionals must be able to interpret acoustic data, assess site-specific conditions, evaluate monitoring approaches, and support defensible environmental decisions in complex marine environments.
Building on the concepts introduced in Introduction to Marine Acoustics, this MicroCourse explores how underwater sound behaves in real marine environments. You will examine how oceanographic, environmental, and geologic conditions influence sound transmission and learn how acoustic information is applied to marine monitoring, environmental assessments, mitigation planning, regulatory processes, and ocean stewardship.
Through practical examples and applied exercises, you will explore acoustic propagation, transmission loss, sound transmission mapping, hydrophone deployment, equipment selection, signal processing, and acoustic data interpretation.
This course is intended for learners who have taken the Introduction to Marine Acoustics or already have a basic understanding of underwater sound and want to develop stronger applied knowledge.
Format: 2 x 2-hour sessions.
Program Outcomes
- Explain how environmental, oceanographic, and geologic conditions influence underwater sound transmission.
- Interpret sound transmission models, transmission loss calculations, and acoustic mapping outputs used in marine projects.
- Evaluate how monitoring design, hydrophone placement, equipment selection, and data processing affect acoustic results.
- Identify common sources of uncertainty and limitations within marine acoustic assessments.
- Apply acoustic reasoning to support monitoring programs, mitigation planning, environmental assessments, and marine mammal exclusion zones.
Spencer Quimby, BSc. RPBio
Marine Biologist, Independent Consultant
Spencer is a Registered Professional Biologist (R.P.Bio.) with the College of Applied Biology in British Columbia and has a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University. Spencer grew up in California and has lived and worked in four different provinces in Canada, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Spencer has worked in fisheries and aquaculture as an aquaculture diver, aquaculture site manager, at-sea fisheries observer, and port supervisor/dockside validator. He branched out into consulting in 2019 and has worked on several major infrastructure projects and many smaller ones in coastal areas of mainland B.C. and Vancouver Island.
Spencer has focused on compliance and verification monitoring for marine and riverine construction projects for the past six years. He provides technical expertise in and has thousands of hours of experience with VHF/UHF SONAR, passive acoustic monitoring equipment, water quality sampling and in-situ monitoring, and marine mammal observation. Spencer has experience providing on-the-job training for technicians and environmental monitors in the principles and applications of SONAR, passive acoustics, and marine mammal observation. He started an independent consultancy in 2024 to further his goals as an environmental professional. He continues to expand his knowledge and experience to better support responsible development and promote compliance with environmental regulations and best practices. Spencer greatly enjoys sharing what he has learned over his career with others who are passionate about these subjects and loves helping people reach their professional and personal goals.