Results of a Survey of the Acoustic Conditions in the Northern Gulf of Ob

Results of an acoustic monitoring conducted in the northern part of the shallow-water Gulf of Ob (the Ob River estuary, an embayment in the Kara Sea) are presented. Vessel-generated noises and communication signals from marine mammals are identified among acoustic sources. Sounds produced by beluga whales are subjected to quantitative analysis using a convolutional neural network. A model for inhomogeneous geoacoustic waveguide characteristic of this area is inferred from the data of a dedicated survey with deployment of an air gun as a low-frequency pulse source. The conclusion is drawn about the high level of attenuation of low-frequency sound during propagation. Based on the numerical simulation, the measurement results are extrapolated to other sites of the study area that potentially have sources of anthropogenic noise.