From binoculars and boats to lasers and light aircraft: the evolution of wildlife surveys
From the first offshore wind projects over 30 years ago, renewable energy technology has advanced at pace. Developments and innovations...
In our previous article on digital aerial survey (DAS) design, we looked at how to get the best data in the marine environment, as well as getting the best from that data. Accurate and robust data is used throughout all stages of the development process, from providing baselines in new territories to adding confidence in revisiting and revising plans if guidelines change.
LiDAR technology: adding the missing pieces
From a Digital Aerial Survey image alone, it is difficult to tell whether a bird is a small example of its species, or just flying at a lower altitude. This uncertainty means tighter regulations to ensure all possibilities are mitigated for, slowing the consenting process and, in some cases, halting it altogether.
APEM Group listened to these concerns, and reviewed the science, pioneering the use of LiDAR technology to accurately measure the flight heights of marine birds as part of DAS.
LiDAR as a gold standard and global best practice
LiDAR has been highlighted by Natural England as best practice for measuring bird flight heights. APEM Group have used this technique in the UK, Ireland, United States and Australia, adding confidence and reducing uncertainty in OSW developments worldwide.
How does LiDAR work to detect bird flight heights?
A tried and tested surveying method, LiDAR fires a series of pulses that are reflected from an object or the water surface. Any sea birds are measured within 5cm accuracy to create a point cloud or a 3D model of the bird in relation to turbines.
LiDAR and OSW in Australia
LiDAR and DAS provide robust data to identify which seabird species and species groups use the seas in Australian waters. Information on natural abundance, seasonal usage and behaviour will form the bedrock for determining baseline conditions in Australia. These baseline data will be an essential component of a proportionate impact assessment process as part of a project-specific development proposals, approvals and referrals in the future.
As an addition to data collection methods, LiDAR provides OSW developers and government regulators with the confidence that financial, environmental and delivery risk can be successfully mitigated on time and on budget, with impact levels agreed from the outset.
Floating wind represents a moving target for birds: as the rotor swept zone moves with the waves, it is vital to get a true understanding of bird flight height and how seabirds interact with turbines.
A high but necessary standard
As flight heights calculated using Digital Aerial Survey are no longer accepted for consenting in Europe, LiDAR can be viewed as a valuable addition to Digital Aerial Surveys in environmental data collection.
LiDAR data is captured during a Digital Aerial Survey and analysed at the same time as Digital Aerial Survey images, providing a cost-effective solution to gather all data required for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
As well as providing much-needed baseline data for Australia, LiDAR will provide species-specific data. Europe has a limited number of species in comparison to Australasian waters, where (to date) up to 70 species have been recorded in the Gippsland region alone.
APEM Group’s use of LiDAR has raised the bar for Marine Wildlife Surveying, taking data collection in the marine environment to a new level. APEM Group provide greater confidence in the data collected and the impacts predicted, reducing uncertainty and wariness in key stakeholders. Our techniques are respected, understood and acknowledged as global best practice.
To speak to our team in Australia about LiDAR and Digital Aerial Surveys, contact us. Missed the webinar? Watch the recording.
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