Abstract
SEACAMS has been working on a collaborative R&D project with Pembrokeshire Guided Walks (PGW) to develop and trial equipment and methods for collecting marine mammal sightings data from fixed vantage points in Ramsey Sound. The study site has been subject to various marine mammal studies, mainly due to the planned deployment of a demonstration tidal turbine by Tidal Energy Limited (TEL).
Here we briefly cover the rationale for fixed vantage point surveys for marine mammals, their limitations and possible methodological solutions to some of the main problems identified. The report described the steps taken to build and trial fieldwork equipment to accurately collect data on animal distances for marine mammal observations, as well as one method for achieving simultaneous data from two adjacent but independent observation stations.