The Convention on Biodiversity agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 defines biodiversity as:
‘The variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part of; thus includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems’
Biodiversity is essentially the ‘variety of life’ and encompasses the whole spectrum of living organisms, including plans, birds, mammals, insects. Biodiversity also refers to the habitats and ecosystems that support these species.
Why is Biodiversity Important?
Biodiversity is a vital resource and important to humanity and the planet. Biodiversity supports the healthy ecosystems we rely on, is an essential part of the solution to climate change, as well as being an integral part of culture and identity. What’s more it is vital for the global economy.
Biodiversity plays a vital role in ecosystem services including pollination, water management, nutrient cycling as well as climate change mitigation. It also has a crucial role in providing access to resources, such as food, water, medicine, energy and raw materials. Biodiversity has an essential role in improving our health and wellbeing, as well as being part of our cultural distinctiveness. In addition, not only are there direct economic benefits from biodiversity resources but ‘added value’ through tourism, educational, recreational and amenity resources. In short biodiversity is essential for our planet and for our survival.
Biodiversity and Seiche
Biodiversity is at the heart of sustainable development and the use of natural resources and is at the heart of the work Seiche does. Our mission is to advance technology and provide customer-focused services to promote and protect our Environment. Our aim is to promote and support the sustainable use and protection of biodiversity, particularly in the marine environment. From measurements and modelling through to mitigation our services provide clients with the confidence to undertake marine developments while mitigating the impacts on the environment and its biodiversity.
At the core of our services is the protection of marine biodiversity. The assessment of ambient and noise levels from anthropogenic sources has become standard practice to meet regulatory targets and international requirements. Understanding and modelling measurements of noise in our ocean is key to mitigating the impacts on marine biodiversity and to providing relevant solutions for protection. Seiche’s environmental department provides the complete range of environmental services to clients within offshore industries from oil and gas, marine renewables to marine construction and engineering. The team provides advice and practical expertise on mitigation measures, impact assessments, visual and acoustic monitoring with the aim of reducing the impact of noise from offshore industries on marine biodiversity.
Seiche’s Initiatives to Protect and Promote Biodiversity
The team at Seiche are passionate about using our technology and expertise to protect marine biodiversity, including
- Designing and implementing novel and bespoke Passive Acoustic Monitoring systems for monitoring during offshore projects such as piling operations
- Autonaut the Unmanned Surface Vessel used to passively monitor noise, environmental and metocean data, as well as marine fauna
- Thermal imaging cameras to monitor nesting turtles
- Camera monitoring systems for detecting marine mammals in low-visibility
- A suite of technology including cameras, PAM and an USV to monitor System 001 or ‘Wilson’ from The Ocean Cleanup, a multi-national initiative developing technologies to remove plastic from the world’s ocean.
- Using static acoustic monitoring systems to monitor porpoise activity in Middelfart, a marine protected area in Denmark with a high density of harbour porpoise, and humpback whales in Madagascar.
For more information on any of our environmental services, contact the Seiche Environmental Management team today at
environmental@seiche.com or telephone +44 (0) 1409 404 050
