Tunable Resonant and Iridescent Transmission-control for Oceanic Noise

Objective

The proposed MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship, entitled TRITON (Tunable Resonant & Iridescent Transmission-control for Oceanic Noise), will develop a new class of reef-like hyperuniform metamaterials for underwater acoustics. The two-year project will be hosted at the Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo, Italy) under the supervision of Prof. Marco Miniaci, with a 7-month secondment at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, Spain) under Prof. Vicent Romero-García, a 1-month secondment at Phononic Vibes (Italy) and short visits to the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (LIPhy, France). Phononic Vibes (Italy) will contribute expertise in prototyping and technology transfer. TRITON combines theoretical, numerical, and experimental approaches to design bio-inspired and eco-compatible underwater structures that can simultaneously absorb and scatter sound over broad frequency ranges. By drawing inspiration from natural hyperuniform patterns, the project aims to mitigate low-frequency anthropogenic ocean noise, which has increased by more than 30 dB since the 1950s, disrupting marine life ecosystems, e.g., communication, navigation, and behavior. TRITON prototypes are expected to achieve up to 10 dB broadband reduction in low-frequency noise, while remaining compatible with long-term marine integration. The expected results include new scientific knowledge in wave physics and metamaterials, proof-of-concept prototypes, and a reusable design-to-fabrication pipeline. TRITON addresses major European priorities in Cluster 6 (“Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment”) through ecological soundscaping and marine habitat support, and Cluster 4 (“Digital, Industry and Space”) through sustainable noise-mitigation technologies. In doing so, it contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Blue Economy, with direct relevance for European citizens and global ocean health.