Seattle, WASHINGTON (August 13, 2025)
Sara Adams is a Program Manager at Quiet Sound, where she manages the Voluntary Operational Measures portfolio, including the seasonal voluntary slowdown in Admiralty Inlet. Sara recently received her master’s degree from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.
Sara’s graduate thesis research sought to understand the factors that motivate container ship participation in the Quiet Sound voluntary vessel slowdown, given that container ships account for the majority of vessel transits and are the largest contributor of anthropogenic underwater noise among target vessels. The goal of this research is to inform and improve program design and engagement with the shipping industry to increase the impact of the slowdown. This qualitative case study developed an analytical framework to understand the impact of various factors on motivation to participate, including: Program characteristics, information sharing and exchange, operational factors, external influences, and intrinsic values. Sustainability reports and websites of 18 shipping lines calling Puget Sound ports, 6 vessel agents, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma and the Northwest Seaport Alliance were analyzed. Key informant interviews were conducted with representatives from: Shipping lines, a shipping association, pilotage authority, the ECHO program, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Findings offer insights into motivations to participate and recommendations for voluntary slowdowns.
Sara presented this research at the GreenTech 2025 conference on a panel titled, ‘Whisper on the Waves: Noise Monitoring & Quieter Marine Technologies’, alongside Jesse Spence of Noise Control Engineering and Nicholas Gagliano of Sofar Ocean, which was moderated by Miako Ushio from the Shipping Federation of Canada.
To read the Executive Summary, click here. To access the entire thesis, click here.