Sitting roughly one kilometre off the coast of southwest Wales, the Island of Skomer is surrounded by the regions only Marine Nature Reserve (MNR). The area is best known for its large breeding seabird population, its Grey seal colony and for many southern species of soft corals and other marine life. The island itself is a National Nature Reserve as well as Site of Special Scientific Interest.
For Mark Burton, CCW Marine Conservation Officer for Skomer, keeping an eye on the Marine Nature Reserve which is only accessible by boat can be a challenge; especially in rough weather. Burton’s duties include maintaining the site’s marine biological monitoring and weather station. CCW collates data on chlorophyll, PH and oxygen from probes on the seabed of the Skomer MNR which is used as part of a UK wide research project on climate change.
Marine Conservation Officers also need to manage human activity, so that it is in line with the conservation objectives of the site. "We also need to make sure that illegal fishing does not occur within the protected area but with limited staff, it was felt that a remote, high resolution camera would be a major benefit," explains Burton
"The system also tags movement events and can generate an alert whenever a vessel comes into the area of coverage – this is useful for monitoring any illegal fishing within the area." |
Based on a requirement for extreme reliability and ability to work in all-weather conditions, CCW selected a MOBOTIX solution from Ecl-ips; a highly regarded Advanced MOBOTIX Partner. The MOBOTIX M24-SEC cameras are installed within a converted coast guard hut on the island and provide wide angle coverage across several key locations such as protected scallop beds and wildlife areas.
Burton accesses the system via a fibre optic link and all footage is recorded for 10 days. "Our main goal for the system was to help raise awareness and to help protect the island," explains Burton, "The system also tags movement events and can generate an alert whenever a vessel comes into the area of coverage – this is useful for monitoring any illegal fishing within the area."
The real-time video provides a guide for groups preparing to scuba dive or sail in and around the island. "The implementation by the team from Ecl-ips was extremely professional and the cameras have worked flawlessly ever since," Burton adds. The installation is the first of its kind within a Marine Nature Reserve but Burton believes that the use of innovative visual technologies can help to raise awareness and help protect wildlife.
The Countryside Council for Wales is a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, working for a better Wales where everyone values and cares for our natural environment.
Webcam and weather station site
Webcam and oceanographic buoy
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