Marine Treasures, Natur am Byth: Seagrass Project Llyn & Ynys Mon and Pembrokeshire

Description

This invitation to quote covers a contract reviewing potential management of moorings and monitoring of seagrass health across seagrass meadows in Pembrokeshire and Llŷn & Ynys Môn, (please see Appendix 1 for indicative location of the NaB projects - Marine Treasures is in blue). The main seagrass meadows that contain moorings are Porthdinllaen, Llŷn Peninsula, and at various locations within Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. The contract will focus on the potential for the establishment of new Advanced Mooring Systems (designed to reduce the impact on seagrass; also known as eco-moorings), determining the type of advanced moorings, suitable locations where these can be installed, to identify potential obstacles and how they might be overcome and with anticipated costs for purchase and installation. This contract will also include a review of existing seagrass health monitoring across Wales and how delivery of this monitoring can be improved, exploring methods for different user-groups and use of different organisations/volunteers. The work has been split into separate work packages to facilitate quoting. Please itemise your quote for each work package. Work packages: 1. Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS): investigation of suitable sites and techniques AMS are a recognised method of reducing mooring impacts on seagrass meadows. Building on work that has been carried out by other initiatives and projects such as ReMEDIES project on the south coast of England and the work undertaken in Porthdinllaen, the contract will identify sites across the study area that are suitable and would benefit from AMS. This will include:  Exploring suitable types of moorings  Using existing habitat data and modelling to explore and map suitable locations  Producing a costed, scalable plan for installing AMS at suitable locations across the project area 2. Monitoring: review of seagrass health monitoring There are a number of monitoring programs across Wales and the UK that investigate seagrass health, either through shoot density, extent of meadow, or levels of nitrogen/phosphorus in leaf material. This is underpinned by a number of statutory drivers such as Special Area of Conservation monitoring and through academia. Building on previous work this contract will:  Review seagrass monitoring in Wales and explore options for consistency across Wales and the rest of the UK to ensure data comparison.  Consider multiple methods e.g. divers, drones, acoustic monitoring, and how they can contribute to an overall monitoring programme.  With guidance from the regional coordinators, explore how elements of seagrass monitoring can be delivered by different user groups and volunteers as appropriate. Deliverables: 1. Report covering work package 1 and 2 as detailed above.