Regular eDNA sampling from LiDAR buoys enables offshore biodiversity monitoring
Celtic Sea Power integrated rapid eDNA sampling into regular maintenance trips to offshore LiDAR buoys to enable efficient and comprehensive biodiversity monitoring prior to offshore wind farm development.
A collaboration between
Project Snapshot
Overview
Celtic Sea Power integrated rapid eDNA sampling into regular maintenance trips to offshore LiDAR buoys to enable efficient and comprehensive biodiversity monitoring prior to offshore wind farm development.
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The Challenge
Conventional biodiversity surveys were too time and resource inefficient to deploy with the frequency required across the offshore LiDAR buoy network during short trips. A solution was needed to rapidly collect comprehensive biodiversity data across multiple taxonomic groups on a regular basis without disrupting key existing operations. Additionally, data was required to maximize lead time for insight into species of concern or change detection to inform offshore wind farm development consenting strategy across sites. Celtic Sea Power wanted to push innovation in the offshore renewable biodiversity monitoring space.
Our Role
NatureMetrics streamlined the process for buoy maintenance crews to collect biodiversity data by providing user-friendly eDNA sample collection and filtration kits for use during their regular buoy trips, which were analysed by the NatureMetrics team. The resulting fish and mammal data were presented to Celtic Sea Power incomprehensive reports, offering valuable information to all teams involved. These reports highlight key insights, including the presence of IUCN vulnerable species at their sites, and share crucial biodiversity insights for use in decision-making across their business, from the site level up.
The Findings
The Impact
This project drove efficiency and cost-effectiveness, allowing Celtic Sea Power to generate scalable biodiversity data in offshore renewables development planning, without disrupting existing buoy operations. By banking biodiversity DNA over time, the team have enabled the early detection of shifts in species and ecosystem changes at planned windfarm sites, providing valuable longer-term insights and informing strategic consent applications. Celtic Sea Power plans to continue regular monitoring at buoy sites, leveraging NatureMetrics' fish metric package for actionable nature insights on the Nature Intelligence Platform as the offshore biodiversity dataset grows over subsequent years.
