What is a hydrophone?
A hydrophone is an underwater acoustic sensor used to detect and measure sound waves in water. Unlike microphones, which operate in air, hydrophones are specifically designed to capture acoustic signals in marine environments.
How does a hydrophone work?
Hydrophones convert underwater sound waves into electrical signals using piezoelectric materials. When exposed to pressure variations caused by sound waves, these materials generate a measurable voltage that can be analyzed.
Hydrophone applications
Hydrophones are widely used in several industries and research fields:
- Marine research: monitoring marine life and underwater ecosystems
- Offshore energy: subsea leak detection and pipeline monitoring
- Defense: passive acoustic surveillance
- Environmental monitoring: underwater noise measurement and impact assessment
To explore practical use cases, see our guide on hydrophone applications, including marine research, offshore monitoring and environmental assessment.
For industrial applications, hydrophones are also used in subsea leak detection systems and professional hydrophone solutions.
To explore specific use cases, see our guide on hydrophone applications.
Hydrophones are also widely used in subsea leak detection systems.
Discover professional hydrophone solutions designed for industrial and offshore use.
