CEFAS22-87 RFQ for analysis of epibenthic imagery from West of Wight Barfleur and Haig Fras

This contract is to undertake the analysis of still seabed imagery collected on the CEND0121 and CEND0719 surveys.

Cefas and JNCC undertook a survey of West of Wight Barfleur MCZ (WWBF hereafter) between 22nd and 25th January 2021, cruise code CEND0121.

The aim of the survey was to collect data from WWBF to inform assessment of the condition of the feature attributes (i.e. extent, distribution, structure and function, and supporting processes) of the designated features (broadscale sedimentary habitats).

Video observations were made with a drop camera (DC) system. The DC was equipped with a high-definition video camera and a separate still image camera unit, in a planar (downwards facing) orientation inside the frame. The stills camera was fitted with a two-spot (green) laser-scaling device with laser points set 220mm apart.

100m length DC transects were carried out at 40 sampling locations based on regular triangular grid (including increased replication transects at a subset of six sampling stations).

Images from each transect have been pre-selected at random to provide a calculated field of view from ~14m2 to ~24m2 per transect. 1303 images have been selected in total for analysis from WWBF.

A further 522 still images acquired at the pinnacles within Haig Fras (HGFR) SAC have also been included for this analysis contract. These were also captured with the same DC system during the earlier 2019 CEND0719 Survey. These images are still subject to final filtering and so the number may reduce, tenderers should provide quotes accounting for a maximum of 522 still images from this survey.