Listening to the 85%: exploring how recording and listening to underwater sounds can increase environmental awareness on Isle of Man.
Lead Research Organisation:
Leeds Beckett University
Department Name: Art, Architecture and Design
Abstract
We will use underwater sound recording to increase understanding and engagement amongst the public and school pupils in relation to the Isle of Man (IoM)'s environmental challenges. We will also use and disseminate the relatively-unknown eco-poetic stories of Malcolm Lowry who wrote about the IoM as an environmental model.
The IoM is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, with a population of 83,000 and with 85% of its territory marine. It faces some important environmental challenges:
- Maintaining UNESCO Biosphere status (awarded 2016).
- Cataloguing Blue Carbon resources through Manx Blue Carbon Project
- Threats from unsustainable fishing, windfarms, gas mining, pollution and single-use plastics.
We will work with some of the country's leading sound recordists to deliver public workshops, including with schools and young people, to gather underwater sounds that will inform public listening stations, allowing people to hear the invisible. We will collaborate with the IoM Government towards a longer-term use of sound and wider dissemination of Lowry's texts, including within the Manx Museum.
The IoM delivers its UNESCO Biosphere programme around conservation, learning and sustainability through its 'Working Together for a Sustainable Future' (2021) document and Government ministers consider our proposed research relevant to this. Dr Richard Selman (Senior Biodiversity Officer) comments: "Your proposed activities all have different merits, and I'd be very pleased to see them take shape here." Dr Peter Duncan (Manager of Marine Nature Reserves Network) adds: "To my knowledge no-one has set up a series of hydrophones in Manx waters and we could link it to the Marine Nature Reserves."
Malcolm Lowry travelled to the IoM, a popular holiday destination from Merseyside, as a child, and when he settled in a squatter's shack near Vancouver to live in a sustainable manner as early as 1941, his neighbour was a former Manx boatbuilder Jimmy Craige. As he listened to Craige's IoM tales and observed the Shell oil refinery across the inlet, Lowry fused these elements into short stories published posthumously as 'Hear Us O Lord From Heaven Thy Dwelling Place' (1961). He conceptualised the IoM as an idyllic model for what was possible through a more harmonious relationship with the living world and our immediate surrounds, making his writing highly prescient and providing a strong thread underpinning our research.
One of our network members is Chris Watson, award-winning sound recordist on 'Frozen Planet' and 'Green Planet' with David Attenborough. Chris used hydrophones at Douglas Bay to record the hidden sounds of limpets grazing: "I like the idea of letting these places speak for themselves ... if people get the chance to hear them, to be immersed in them, to engage with them, then they will understand the significance of these places and it will be blindingly obvious that they need our protection." In Chris's opinion, there will be sufficient 'noises' around the IoM waters for sustained engagement and his Douglas recordings to date are staggering, revealing fascinating rhythms and musicality.
In her essay 'Sounding Out Other Species', Melanie Challenger (Deputy Chair of Nuffield Council on Bioethics) writes: "It is time to consider new ways of politically listening to animals, paying attention to those that will be affected by our political, economic and legal decisions." She argues that our relationship with the living world will only improve once we start listening to the needs of non-human animals. The sounds we record will be new and abstract but over 800 species of fishes from 109 families worldwide are known to be soniferous, producing sounds we often refer to as grunts, snaps, pops, rumbles or percolating. There are 95 miles of IoM coastline with good numbers of pollack, bass, cuckoo wrasse, grey mullet, mackerel, Norway lobster, hermit crabs, queen scallops and dog cockles.
The IoM is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, with a population of 83,000 and with 85% of its territory marine. It faces some important environmental challenges:
- Maintaining UNESCO Biosphere status (awarded 2016).
- Cataloguing Blue Carbon resources through Manx Blue Carbon Project
- Threats from unsustainable fishing, windfarms, gas mining, pollution and single-use plastics.
We will work with some of the country's leading sound recordists to deliver public workshops, including with schools and young people, to gather underwater sounds that will inform public listening stations, allowing people to hear the invisible. We will collaborate with the IoM Government towards a longer-term use of sound and wider dissemination of Lowry's texts, including within the Manx Museum.
The IoM delivers its UNESCO Biosphere programme around conservation, learning and sustainability through its 'Working Together for a Sustainable Future' (2021) document and Government ministers consider our proposed research relevant to this. Dr Richard Selman (Senior Biodiversity Officer) comments: "Your proposed activities all have different merits, and I'd be very pleased to see them take shape here." Dr Peter Duncan (Manager of Marine Nature Reserves Network) adds: "To my knowledge no-one has set up a series of hydrophones in Manx waters and we could link it to the Marine Nature Reserves."
Malcolm Lowry travelled to the IoM, a popular holiday destination from Merseyside, as a child, and when he settled in a squatter's shack near Vancouver to live in a sustainable manner as early as 1941, his neighbour was a former Manx boatbuilder Jimmy Craige. As he listened to Craige's IoM tales and observed the Shell oil refinery across the inlet, Lowry fused these elements into short stories published posthumously as 'Hear Us O Lord From Heaven Thy Dwelling Place' (1961). He conceptualised the IoM as an idyllic model for what was possible through a more harmonious relationship with the living world and our immediate surrounds, making his writing highly prescient and providing a strong thread underpinning our research.
One of our network members is Chris Watson, award-winning sound recordist on 'Frozen Planet' and 'Green Planet' with David Attenborough. Chris used hydrophones at Douglas Bay to record the hidden sounds of limpets grazing: "I like the idea of letting these places speak for themselves ... if people get the chance to hear them, to be immersed in them, to engage with them, then they will understand the significance of these places and it will be blindingly obvious that they need our protection." In Chris's opinion, there will be sufficient 'noises' around the IoM waters for sustained engagement and his Douglas recordings to date are staggering, revealing fascinating rhythms and musicality.
In her essay 'Sounding Out Other Species', Melanie Challenger (Deputy Chair of Nuffield Council on Bioethics) writes: "It is time to consider new ways of politically listening to animals, paying attention to those that will be affected by our political, economic and legal decisions." She argues that our relationship with the living world will only improve once we start listening to the needs of non-human animals. The sounds we record will be new and abstract but over 800 species of fishes from 109 families worldwide are known to be soniferous, producing sounds we often refer to as grunts, snaps, pops, rumbles or percolating. There are 95 miles of IoM coastline with good numbers of pollack, bass, cuckoo wrasse, grey mullet, mackerel, Norway lobster, hermit crabs, queen scallops and dog cockles.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Alan Dunn (Principal Investigator) | |
| Helen Tookey (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Dunn, A
(2024)
Hear Us O Lord (that you can't hear)
in TETI (Textures and Experiences of Trans-Industriality)
| Title | Hear Us: Sounds of the Sea |
| Description | 'Hear Us: Sounds of the Sea' exhibition, Manx Museum, 14/12/2024 - 30/3/2025, https://manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on/detail/hear-us-sounds-of-the-sea/ This exhibition display was developed for the Natural History corridor and room in the Museum and comprised: Three information panels on Malcolm Lowry, the Chris Watson talk and underwater sound pollution and the role of the hydrophone A large information banner and reference booklet with further research images, links and funders' logos AV display with video and listening station containing selected underwater recordings |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Exhibition runs until 30 March 2025 BBC News feature: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxvyv5v24o A major feature on the exhibition and interview with Alan Dunn was aired on BBC Radio 4 'The World This Week' on 26/1/2025 As a result of the above, the team have been approached by SciPod Audiobooks to record an issue |
| URL | https://manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on/detail/hear-us-sounds-of-the-sea/ |
| Description | Please see https://malcolmlowry.com/ for full documentation During 2024 we undertook five main research visits to the Isle of Man and consider the main findings as: The people on the Isle of Man are more aware now of the underwater sounds around their territory The man-made noises (eg windfarm speculation) are impacting on other living creatures Young children understand and enjoy live underwater sounds The Isle of Man Government is potentially interested in creating a network of listening stations around the island Manx National Heritage is now aware of the Isle of Man related writings of Malcolm Lowry |
| Exploitation Route | We are working towards the following developments: The Isle of Man Government collaborate on an island-wide network of QR codes that allow ALL residents and visitors to listen to sounds recorded around the coat Island-based musicians and schools incorporate the recordings into creative compositions, to be followed by wider UK-uptake Contribution to £250m redesign of one of Douglas Bay's sunken gardens as a "space of quiet contemplation and listening", in collaboration with the Manx Wildlife Trust Artist-In-Residence |
| Sectors | Education Environment Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://malcolmlowry.com/ |
| Description | Below are brief reports on the five research trips and manners in which our findings have been used on the island during this period. Trip 1, February 2024 Participants: Dr Alan Dunn, Dr Helen Tookey, Louise K. Wilson, Hannah Dargavel-Leafe, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta. Itinerary: For the first of our new set of visits, we travel with just four people and meet two who travelled earlier to the island, with the party consisting of Alan Dunn, Helen Tookey, Louise K. Wilson, Hannah Dargavel-Leafe, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta. We travel from Heysham on this occasion, on the brand new Manxman ferry and take the traditional Bee Gees photo on arrival. We set sail on Friday 2nd February, days after train strikes and wild storms, but arrive safely. On Saturday, we start with some underwater recordings at the coast in Douglas and catch up with Jacqui Keenan from the Blue Carbon Project and she joins us in lowering hydrophones into the cold water. We are met on the beach by Richard Selman, Ecosystem Policy Manager, who also does some recording and together we all plan future visits and chat about F-POD recordings, seagrass and further collaborations around the Nature Reserves and Manx Wildlife Trust. We pop in to Sounds Records and then head up to Ramsey to record around the harbour wall - Frankie possibly records the sound of a distant dolphin. The next day we head to Niarbyl where the limpets are much more audibale and active and as we move around, we're chatting with locals, hotel staff and taxi drivers about our project and their lives on the island. Our last day starts down in Castletown before meeting Laura McCoy and Anthea Young at the Manx Museum to plan our May and July visits, talks and workshops. Inbetween all this, we're also down at the beach at 7am recording as the sun comes up and 7pm in a private cove near the Ferry Terminal and capturing the ferocious underwater torrents of noise as the ferries arrive and depart. Dr Alan Dunn (14 February 2024) This trip was very productive to consciously collect and record habitats. I was interested to record and consider the range of shipping traffic - and suggested we record the Manxman ferry arrival from different positions in the Harbour - I recorded both with binaural and M/S stereo microphone, very different qualities of audio. How can 'contact-type hydrophone recordings and 'air' recordings be combined? The 'tiny' sounds of rockpools open up enquiry to hearing beyond the surface, the physics of sound heard underwater mean it is impossible to work out directionality, so it is difficult to 'find' the source. Co-existence in the sea - i was interested to talk to a cold water swimmer (or wild simmer - or even just 'swimmer'!) and she pointed out a seal and the need to take care, especially if seals have pups in water. Interested to talk more with swimmers about their relationship with sea life/ immersion. Recording Helen reading Lowry at the coast - she is reading him reflecting on another place, her voice carried on the wind ... keen to continue these site-scientific readings. It makes Lowry present... and recording in darkness (at the bay near Douglas) - is challenging but the listening comes more intense and focussed. Louise K. Wilson (14 February 2024) I've been struck by the contrast of trying to record the slightest sound in a rock pool, straining to hear the wriggle of a sea snail or scratch of a limpet, with the almost deafening roar of ships engines. Often, I've found the act of listening in the rock pools - having struggled across slippery rocks on a windy, rugged coast - has taught me more about Isle of Man's relation to the sea than the recordings I came away with. Following our conversation with the Manx Museum, I'd like to find some ship wrecks and record the colonisation of sea life on these silent vessels. Hannah Dargavel-Leafe (15 February 2024) Trip 2, May 2024 Participants: Dr Alan Dunn, Matt Green, Chris Watson, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta. Itinerary: For the second of our new set of visits, we travel with just three people and meet two who travelled earlier to the island, with the party consisting of Alan Dunn, Matt Green, Chris Watson, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta. We travel from Liverpool on the Manannan and take the traditional Bee Gees photo. We set sail on Friday 3rd May and upon landing, head straight down to Port St Mary for two-hours at sea with Dr Michelle Haywood on her Discover Diving boat The Endeavour. We hear the lighthouse service ship, diesel-engined fishing boats and, as they all sail away and we near the cliffs, the glorious sounds of pistol shrimps. On Saturday morning we head to Port Erin to meet up with some amazing artists, musicians, engagement officers and designers to do some recording and chatting, before hopping on the steam train back to Douglas. In the evening, Chris gives his talk Wavelengths: Songs under the Surface for about 150 people at the Manx Museum. On Sunday, we record down at Scarlett Bay before heading back via Peel and Douglas to Port St Mary again to spend another two hours between 6-8pm on The Endeavour and sail back to Liverpool on Bank Holiday Monday, recording more limpets from Douglas harbour wall and catching up with Cian Quayle on the way. Alan Dunn (6 May 2024) Trip 3, July 2024 Participants: Alan Dunn, Helen Tookey, Liz Stirling, Louise K. Wilson, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta. Itinerary: We travel from Liverpool on the Manannan (from the brand new Ferry Terminal) and from Heysham on the Manxman and take the traditional Bee Gees photo. We set sail on Thursday 4th July (the day of the UK election) and spend the morning of Friday 5th July (Tynwald Day) down at St Michael's Isle on the very south-eastern tip. Lara Howe and Graham Makepeace-Warne from Manx Wildlife Trust arrange three kayaks for us to record out in the seagrass/eelgrass area. Rowan (Blue Carbon) and Jack (Sound Records) pop along for a catch up and we read some Lowry on the peninsula. Seals quickly approach the three kayaks and can be heard in numerous recordings. After lunch in the Golf Club, we split to explore Hango Hill, Castletown and Point of Ayre, recording at the shore and around the lighthouse and foghorn. On Saturday 5th July we run two make-your-own-hydrophone workshops at House of Manannan for people aged 12+ and then test them out with bathbombs in basins! We then split to explore Peel Castle and Niarbyl Beach. On Sunday we take in the Manx Museum, St Michael's Isle again, kayaking in Port Erin and Fleshwick Bay Beach before setting sail back to Liverpool. Alan Dunn (7 July 2024) Trip 4, July 2024 Participants: Alan Dunn Itinerary: For the fourth of our new set of visits, Alan Dunn travels alone to share some recordings and demonstrations at the Festival of the Sea organised by Manx Wildlife Trust and that attracts thousands of visitors to the marquee at Port Erin Breakwater (13/14 July 2024). We played back some of Chris Watson's underwater recordings and lowered a hydrophone into one of the tanks with edible crabs, blue lobster and shiny starfish. The public (all ages!) could slip on headphones and wonder in awe at the sounds of the lobsters and crabs scuttling around (and playfully scrapping) over the bottom of the hard-surfaced tank. Alan Dunn (14 July 2024) Trip 5, August 2024 Participants: Alan Dunn, Helen Tookey, Hannah Dargavel-Leafe, Martin Heslop, Frankie Mazzotta, Kristina Nenova and Grant Smith and Mort Drew from Soundcamp. Itinerary: We hosted a workshop at House of Manannan in Peel around creating Streamboxes for live listening/broadcasting, looking to possibly leave some on the island. We visited and recorded at the shipwreck at Jurby, the bat walk in Mooragh Park by Ramsey, with the Manx Bat Group, Point of Ayre, Douglas, Laxey, Port Soderick, Bride and Smeale beach. Alan Dunn (26 August 2024) In relation to further cross-generational impact, we invited two Leeds Beckett University Fine Art students, Kristina Nenova and Frankie Mazzotta to join us on each trip due to their interest in sound recording, seaweed and, in Frankie's case, family links to the island. We also appointed Nicole Dodds as Research Assistant for this phase and Nicole was excellent in prepping, booking and planning each trip with us. She also began her PhD at Leeds Beckett University at the time and comments that she learned many practical project management skills as part of this research. Our sixth and final visit will be 28-30 March to formally 'close' the Manx Museum exhibition and meet up with all previous collaborators. We will travel with two of malcolm Lowry's descendants to further embed his legacy within Manx National Heritage. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Manx National Heritage |
| Organisation | Manx National Heritage |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We collaborated with Manx National Heritage on a year-long series of discussions and engagement events to guarantee the most successful dissemination of our research on the island. We brought artists and researchers of the highest quality to the island to help in the understanding of topics relating to the research and we demonstrated new ways of engaging the public of all ages. We were able to present our collaborations in United Kingdom academic contexts as well as high profile media outlets, including BBC Radio 4. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Manx National Heritage hosted the events and developed press coverage, acting as advocates for our research throughout the year. They introduced us to other creatives on the islands towards participation in events and distributed printed material on our behalf. Finding MNH to be most suitable partners shifted the research in a very positive direction towards adult interactions and through them, collaborations with the Manx Wildlife Trust allowed us to interact with around 2,000 families, including toddlers, at the Festival of the Sea. |
| Impact | Chris Watson masterclass at Port Erin and keynote lecture at Manx Museum, Douglas Make-your-own-hydrophone workshops at House of Manannan, Peel Festival of the Sea - live hydrophone demonstration, Port Erin Soundcamp workshop, House of Manannan, Peel These are all multi-disciplinary events, involving artists leading practice-as-research events at which members of the public engage. Total participants for above approximately 2,185. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Festival of the Sea |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | For the fourth of our new set of visits, Alan Dunn shared some recordings and demonstrations at the Festival of the Sea organised by Manx Wildlife Trust and that attracted many visitors to the marquee at Port Erin Breakwater (13/14 July 2024). We played back some of Chris Watson's underwater recordings and lowered a hydrophone into one of the tanks with edible crabs, blue lobster and shiny starfish. The public (all ages!) could slip on headphones and wonder in awe at the sounds of the lobsters and crabs scuttling around (and playfully scrapping) over the bottom of the hard-surfaced tank. Over the two days, approximately 2,000 people passed through the display and demo. Printed postcards with QR link to project website were issued to all. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://malcolmlowry.com/ |
| Description | Hear Us O Lord |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation for Art Sci Lab Research Group School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire, May 2024, attended by approx 25 academics and post-grad students exploring the intersection of art and science. See: https://www.herts.ac.uk/research/groups-and-units/art-sci-lab-research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://malcolmlowry.com/ |
| Description | Hear Us O Lord |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation about research by Alan Dunn to the international TETI (Textures and Experiences of Trans-Industriality) group of around 30 researchers and artists during the 'Metabolic Naples' Field Station in Naples, with resulting publication, organised in collaboration with the Center for the Art and Architectural History of Port Cities, La Capraia". Malcolm Lowry had also visited Naples and the presentation drew lines between his Isle of Man writings and his reflections on the volcanic nature of life around Vesuvius. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tetigroup.org/ |
| Description | Make your own hydrophone |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On Saturday 5th July we ran two make-your-own-hydrophone workshops at House of Manannan, Peel, led by Louise K. Wilson and the whole team, for people aged 12+ and then tested them out with bathbombs in basins! At this event, members of the public of all ages mixed with island-based artists and musicians to construct an economic hydrophone that can be used to listen to and capture underwater sounds. Where possible, we gave hardware to the visitors to take away and test out (eg one grandmother wanted to do underwater recordings in rock pools with her grandson and she returned to the Festival of the Sea to collect more adaptors and kit. Another local musician also attended and then came to the Festival of the Sea with recordings he had made). Postcards with QR code links to project website issued and left for distribution at HoM Reception Desk. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://malcolmlowry.com/ |
| Description | Soundcamp Streambox workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We invited artists group Soundcamp to host a workshop at House of Manannan in Peel around creating Streamboxes for live listening/broadcasting, looking to possibly leave some on the island. Streamboxes are waterproof boxes containing microphones and the ability to live stream the surrounding sounds to a website, enabling global listening. See https://soundtent.org/present/kima/streambox.html. At these workshops were a mixture of local agencies (Isle of Man Government, Blue Carbon, Manx Wildlife Trust and Manx National Heritage) and island-based musicians and artists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://malcolmlowry.com/ |