Xandra van der Eijk with Han Lindeboom

Seasynthesis

In collaboration with Marine Research Institute Wageningen University

We gain a valuable understanding of the activity of both man, aquatic life and the planet, over a vast distance. In the shape of ambient noise, the recordings tell us about earthquakes hundreds of kilometres away, weather patterns and the ever-flowing movement of water molecules.

The North Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world. Freight carriers, oil and gas drilling, fishing, sand winning — we exploit this continental shelf as if it has never been under water. Although we have designed efficient methods to harvest resources, the North Sea still remains a hostile environment to man, with very limited access. Mainly operating from the surface, we have little knowledge about the effects of our activities below the waves.  Seasynthesis is an ongoing research project that aims to provide access to the North Sea through listening. Xandra van der Eijck registered the erratic rhythms of ship propellers and underwater activities in the North Sea where the construction of offshore wind farms causes a constant industrious clamour. As sound travels five times faster through water compared to air, we gain a valuable understanding of the activity of both man, aquatic life and the planet, over a vast distance. In the shape of ambient noise, the recordings tell us about earthquakes hundreds of kilometres away, weather patterns and the ever-flowing movement of water molecules. It will come as no surprise that all this noise is a serious disturbance of marine life. In a first effort to interpret the data, one recording file of 1.48 hours is translated into an immersive 8-channel composition, enabling you to transpose yourself temporarily into the aquatic environment of the North Sea.