SMART environmental multi-physics sensor monitoring using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems

It links with the Marine Summary of Evidence. This document states that we do not know enough about the distribution of some protected features. Harbour porpoise are a Habitats Directive Annex II species, and while we have designated cSACs for their protection, we do not have any data on the fine scale use of these areas. This is also an area subject to active research and debate for several habitats and species, but not currently for harbour porpoise. This project may also help us to assess the levels of anthropogenic underwater noise in the cSACs, another gap in our knowledge. Systems would be developed in either the on-board electronics or via streamed data to monitor for harbour porpoise vocalization events but also continuously monitor background and anthropogenic noise sources. This may include long term averages for example in third octave bands and/ or event driven anthropogenic noise such as passing shipping or piling. These data could for example feed directly into MSFD descriptors 11 for Good Environmental Status. The aim would be for all of these data to be captured and recovered from each deployment allowing the potential for long term spatial sampling of natural and anthropogenic sound contributions into the marine environment.
More information is required to help NE give better evidence-based conservation advice to regulators and interpret assertions made within Environmental Statements to respond to casework.