Marine hydrokinetic turbines are a promising technology for generating renewable 'green' energy at the scale of local communities, as well as for feeding regional power grids. Many locations along Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy, with significant potential for marine turbine power have prototype turbines either installed or in planning.

Developing of these sites requires an understanding of the resource potential and the effects of the turbines on the environment.With respect to the effects of turbines on marine life, a key knowledge gap is understanding the behaviour and exposures of fish, crustaceans, and marine mammals near the devices.

To help address these knowledge gaps, specialized acoustic instrumentation was deployed for a two-month period in Grand Passage to advance understanding on how turbulence affects the ability to detect marine life and to what extent these species can detect tidal turbines. 

State of the art hydrophones were depolyed together with an active source that generates dolphin-like whistles and clicks. Soundscape data was collected during the instrument deployment period and is being modeled to measure how low-frequency sounds (e.g. dolphin clicks) propogate through turbulent waters. The modeling results will help infer how the turbulent flow impacts on the ability to detect the presence of marine life.