CEFAS25-139 Request for Quotation for the analysis of seabed imagery

Cefas and Natural England (NE) have been working collaboratively to deliver monitoring surveys within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as part of the ongoing MPA programme. These surveys aim to support Natural England’s monitoring objectives and provide robust evidence to inform conservation measures.

Two recent surveys were undertaken at designated Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs): Beachy Head East MCZ in November 2023 and Cape Bank MCZ in September 2025. Both sites are important for understanding subtidal habitats and associated species, and the surveys were designed to gather high-quality data to meet specific ecological objectives.

Beachy Head East MCZ is an inshore site located along the East Sussex coast near Eastbourne, within the Eastern Channel region. Covering an area of approximately 195 km², the survey focused on: • Mapping the extent and distribution of subtidal sediment, rock, and biogenic reef habitats. • Collecting quantitative information on species composition across sedimentary and rocky biotopes. • Identifying the presence of S. spinulosa formations and, where possible, providing data to inform Reefiness assessments. • Recording any presence of non-native species.

Cape Bank MCZ, is an inshore site situated in the Western Channel and Celtic Sea region to the west of Land’s End, spans roughly 474 km². The survey objectives included: • Acquiring high-quality video and image data to verify the extent and distribution of subtidal moderate energy circalittoral rock features. • Determining the main characterising species within these habitats to enable temporal comparisons with previous datasets.

Requirements: The Supplier is required to undertake the analysis of seabed imagery (video and still images) collected at Beachy Head East and Cape Bank MCZs. This analysis will include the production of imagery-specific Geographic Information System (GIS) deliverables.