Ocean Acoustics Program: A National Naval Responsibility

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Ocean Acoustics Program supports research which addresses an understanding of the physics of the generation, propagation, and scattering of narrowband and broadband acoustic (and elastic) waves in the temporally and spatially varying ocean environment. Research which uses acoustics solely as a tool to study other environmental processes should be proposed to the appropriate environmental programs (e.g., Physical Oceanography and Environmental Optics). ONR may jointly support such efforts when a better understanding of the relevant acoustical propagation and scattering mechanisms are central to the research. In this case, the investigator could also seek coordination of support from the appropriate environmental program officer.

Links to online annual reports for many ongoing and recently completed studies are provided at the left side of the page. These annual reports can provide a detailed view of the types of research sponsored by the program in recent years. The Ocean Acoustics Progam contains two thrust areas. Brief descriptions of these thrusts are presented below.

• Shallow-Water Acoustics: The goal of this thrust is to understand the propagation and scattering of acoustic energy in a shallow-water ocean environment. Areas of research include: shallow-water scattering mechanisms related to reverberation and clutter; seabed acoustic measurements supporting geoacoustic inversion; acoustic propagation through internal waves and coastal ocean processes and the development of unified ocean/ seabed/ acoustic models, including scattering from rough surfaces, biologics, and bubbles; and penetration/propagation within the porous seafloor.
• Deep-Water Acoustics: This thrust addresses issues associated with low-frequency acoustic propagation, scattering, and communication over distances from tens to thousands of kilometers in the deep ocean where the sound channel may or may not be bottom limited. The effects of environmental variability induced by ocean internal waves, internal tides and mesoscale processes, and by bathymetric features including seamounts and ridges, on the stability, statistics, spatial distribution and predictability of broadband acoustic signals remain an area of high interest. Also of interest is the coherence and depth dependence of deep-water ambient noise.

In addition to the investments under these thrusts, we continue to maintain more modest investments in research related to acoustic communications, particularly focusing on understanding and exploiting channel capacity.

• Pre-proposals: Due May 1, 2012, with response by soon after June 15
• Full Proposals: Due Aug. 15, 2012, unless otherwise negotiated
• Funding Date: Oct. 1, 2012, and after beginning of fiscal year 2013

Special Ocean Acoustics Awards: ONR  awards graduate traineeship, postdoctoral fellowship and entry-level faculty awards in ocean acoustics.

The deadline for awards starting calendar year 2013, which spans Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2013, is Aug. 1, 2012. Notification of awards will be made by Oct. 1, 2012, and grants will begin on or after Jan. 1, 2013.

Please send pre-proposals/planning letters to:

Program Officer
Code 322OA
875 North Randolph Street, Room 1078
Arlington, VA 22203-1995
E-mail: 322_OA@onr.navy.mil