Vessel pressure analysis from remote sensing and AIS

Natural England is responsible for protecting biodiversity and managing the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for seals. This project is to analyse and provide a baseline report on all recreational boating and industrial vessel activity over the SAC for The Wash and Norfolk Coast.

The analysis will focus on reviewing all electro optical imagery of the Area of Interest (AOI), with cloud cover not exceeding 10%, over a six-year period from January 2018 to December 2023. Additionally reviewing all vessels transmitting via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and incorporating an analysis of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) "Night Lights" data for a more comprehensive overview and to address the limitations of EO imagery, which can be affected by cloud cover and only captures momentary snapshots.