Technology, 3rd party data and NEF indicators - Feasibility Study

Natural England are reforming how we monitor protected sites, with the focus shifting to include the usage of 3rd party and monitoring technologies e.g. Earth Observation . This will increase efficiency and capacity for condition assessments to be made partially or entirely remotely, allowing more sites to be monitored in less time and management resources distributed effectively based on current information. Considering all habitats, this project will investigate approaches that would be available to Natural England in the short to medium term (max 5 years) to gather, store and synthesise existing and new spatial/DNA/acoustic data to locate and monitor NEF indicators present on SSSI. Contractors should work through each of the indicators and describe how current monitoring technologies such as earth observation and / or 3rd party data could be used to detect and map NEF indicators and their impact on natural processes e.g. aquatic system modification, plus horizon scan for future tech. This is a pilot study with the aim to provide a summary of what techniques are available now and will be available in the next 5 years. We do not expect contractors to trial any approaches. Natural England has the ability through the Evidence Earth Observation Service (EEOS) to carry out earth observation analysis, though we would like it to be assessed what skills, knowledge and software would be needed to conduct these approaches.