Current monitoring and data collection
The table below (last updated in November 2020) provides a summary of the known monitoring, research and data collection currently taking place on the North Tyneside, Northumberland Berwickshire coast. The table will be reviewed and updated annually by our Data, Monitoring and Research Group.
| Description | Organisations who collect information | Details | |
| Site condition monitoring | |||
| Monitoring condition of European sites (SPAs/SACs) | NatureScot | Responsible for reporting on the condition of SACs and SPAs in Scotland.
SPA condition assessment uses data from a number of sources including the Seabird Monitoring Programme and WeBS. |
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| Natural England | Responsible for reporting on the condition of SACs and SPAs in England.
SPA condition assessment uses data from a number of sources including the Seabird Monitoring Programme and WeBS. |
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| Monitoring condition of MCZs | Natural England | Responsible for reporting on MCZ condition.
Baseline monitoring on Coquet to St Mary’s MCZ. Aln Estuary monitoring in partnership with Northumberland IFCA |
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| Monitoring condition of SSSIs | NatureScot | SSSI condition monitoring in Scotland | |
| Natural England | SSSI condition monitoring in England | ||
| Extent/Condition of Habitats | NatureScot | Commission surveys jointly with Natural England to assess the condition of interest features of the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC | |
| Natural England | Commission surveys jointly with NatureScot to assess the condition of interest features of the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC
Annual Seagrass survey at Lindisfarne (with Environment Agency)
Monitoring at Lindisfarne NNR and Tweed Estuary SAC plus shallow inlets and bays
MSFD project in Coquet to St Mary’s MCZ and BNNC SAC with Newcastle University and Northumberland IFCA |
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| Environment Agency | Annual Seagrass surveys and macroalgae surveys at Lindisfarne (with Natural England)
WFD monitoring of saltmarsh at Holy Island/Budle Bay/Coquet and Aln |
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| Berwickshire Marine Reserve | Seabed mapping and sampling
Towed underwater video and 360-degree video |
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| Species monitoring | |||
| Monitoring of Grey Seals | National Trust for Scotland | Annual counts of SSSI/SAC beaches | |
| National Trust | Annual pup counts on Farne Islands | ||
| Monitoring of breeding seabirds | Natural England | Monitoring of shorebirds at Lindisfarne NNR | |
| National Trust | Monitoring of breeding bird numbers and the productivity of selected species at Farne Islands and at Long Nanny | ||
| National Trust for Scotland | Monitoring of seabird numbers at St Abbs Head and the productivity of kittiwakes and shags | ||
| RSPB | Monitoring of seabird numbers on Coquet Island
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| Coast Care Northumberland | Breeding ringed plover (Lindisfarne to Howick) ` | ||
| Monitoring of wintering bird numbers | Space for Shorebirds | Wader counts at selected locations as part of regular disturbance monitoring | |
| Marine Nature Partnership | Collect records of eider sighting from the public via the Eider Aware Project | ||
| BTO | Regular counts of wintering coast birds are made by volunteers as part of the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) | ||
| Natural England | Detailed weekly counts of bird assemblage inc. coordination of monthly WeBS count at Lindisfarne NNR
Grey goose roost counts (Lindisfarne NNR and adjacent sites) as part of annual WWT grey goose census |
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| Cetacean Monitoring | North East Cetacean Project | Collation of cetacean sightings.
Surveys of white-beaked dolphin |
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| Newcastle University | Acoustic monitoring of cetacean distribution | ||
| Dead or stranded marine mammals | The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme | Reports of dead or stranded marine mammals collated | |
| UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme | |||
| Dead seabirds | North East Beached Bird Surveys (NEBBS) | Northumberland/North Tyneside only
Northumberland IFCA carries out NEBBS surveys on Druridge Bay and Beadnell Bay
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| Natural England | Lindisfarne NNR undertakes beached bird survey and autumn/winter AI surveys | ||
| Fish and Fisheries | Northumberland IFCA | Fish surveys: Twice yearly surveys of the Aln Estuary MCZ. Previous surveys at Long Nanny and Druridge Bay
Shellfish: Lobster stock assessment, Escape gap surveys, Permit holder catch returns, brown crab maturity project (jointly with St Abbs Marine Station and Blue Marine)
General: Hand gathering/bait collection data collected, sightings of fisheries activity recorded, MPA assessments and monitoring of fishing impacts on protected features |
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| River Tweed Commission | Fish catches on the Tweed catchment | ||
| Environment Agency | Autumn TraC fish surveys on Tweed with seine and fyke nets | ||
| Berwickshire Marine Reserve | Population dynamics of brown crab and lobster (with St Abbs Marine Station)
Citizen Science project to capture Wolffish sightings |
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| St Abbs Marine Station | Population dynamics of brown crab and lobster | ||
| Newcastle University | Lugworm and periwinkle fisheries within
the BNNC EMS (2013-2017) – PhD research
Use of vessel sightings and social surveys to measure pot fishing pressure and understand where and how people fish
Use of stable isotope data to reveal pathways supporting production of North Sea fish
Trawl, video, trap and acoustic methods to assess fish distribution and assemblages |
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| CEFAS | Nethrops monitoring in Farnes Deep | ||
| Presence of Non-Native Species | Natural England | Settlement panels at chosen locations. Analysed by MSc students (when available)
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| Environment Agency | |||
| Physical and chemical monitoring | |||
| Water Quality | SEPA | WFD monitoring and bathing water quality monitoring
Environment Agency also carry out nutrient monitoring at Holy Island and on the Coquet catchment |
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| Environment Agency | |||
| Northumbrian Water | Combined sewer overflow annual spill data (event duration monitoring)
Bathing water quality data (Cullercoats)
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| Water chemistry and temperature | Marine Scotland | Temperature, salinity, and water chemistry data collected at St Abbs Marine Station | |
| North East Coastal Group | Temperature data from buoy at Newbiggin | ||
| Berwickshire Marine Reserve | 30 temperature loggers on creel pots throughout the reserve | ||
| Environment Agency | Offshore water quality samples taken by national team | ||
| Newcastle University | Sea-temperature monitoring with robo-limpets
Monitoring of four MarClim sites within Northumberland |
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| Shoreline Monitoring Programme and coastal change monitoring | Environment Agency | Bathometry data etc. on NECO website | |
| Local Authorities/RFCC | Coastal erosion monitoring | ||
| Marine Nature Partnership | CoastSnap project (fixed point photography at selected locations) – to commence in 2021 | ||
| Plastic Pollution/Beach Litter | Marine Nature Partnership | Collected using Beachwatch Methodology | |
| Berwickshire Marine Reserve | |||
| Coast Care Northumberland | |||
| Marine Conservation Society | |||
| Northumbrian Water | Beach clean survey data – annual trends and sources | ||
| Recreational activities and disturbance | |||
| Recreational usage of the coast | Newcastle University | Data from CoastXplore app (Capturing Our Coast project)
Production of recreational pressure maps (research project with Natural England) |
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| National Trust | Records of visitor numbers to the Farne Islands | ||
| Berwickshire Marine Reserve | Pressure mapping of activities with the Reserve | ||
| Natural England | Records visitor numbers with trigger counters at 2 locations on Lindisfarne NNR (both on HI) – this will be extended 2021 to a further 4 locations across the NNR | ||
| Marine Nature Partnership | Possible data on levels of beach usage from CoastSnap project (starts 2021) | ||
| Recreational disturbance | Space for Shorebirds | Monitoring of disturbance of wintering waders on Northumberland coast | |
| Natural England | Monitoring of bird disturbance on the Lindisfarne NNR | ||
| National Trust | Recording of disturbance at Long Nanny tern colony | ||
| National Trust for Scotland | Work with local Universities on studies into impacts of disturbance at St Abbs Head | ||
| Marine Nature Partnership | Reports of disturbance to eiders ccollected through the Eider Aware Project | ||
| Anchoring | National Trust | Recording of numbers and locations of vessels anchoring around the Farne Islands | |
| Aircraft Disturbance to birds | National Trust | Aircraft disturbance at Long Nanny tern colony logged by seasonal wardens | |
| RSPB | Record keeping at Coquet Island | ||
| Natural England | Recording aircraft disturbance during shorebird breeding season | ||
| National Trust for Scotland | Record keeping at St Abbs Head | ||
| Ongoing research areas not covered above | |||
| Impacts of noise on marine invertebrates | St Abbs Marine Station | ||
| Impacts of electromagnetic fields on decapods | St Abbs Marine Station | ||
| Tern ecology and migration | Newcastle University | ||
| Dove Time Series plankton sampling | Newcastle University | ||