ES RDE 079 - Using partnership working to scope a lowcost, permanent estuarine t

Natural England has issued a direct award to The University of Plymouth under the Environmental Science Research, Development and Evidence Framework to scope a low-cost, permanent estuarine telemetry array. Valued at 26,207.50 pounds excluding VAT, the project runs from August 26, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The initiative seeks to transition acoustic telemetry from short-term projects into a long-term monitoring solution to provide high-quality, long-duration data on the movements and habitat use of mobile species while reducing initial start-up costs. The project focuses on strengthening estuarine and inshore coverage by testing a semi-autonomous, partnership-run array. A key objective is the creation of a coastal collective consisting of regional partners responsible for equipment maintenance and data management. By utilizing existing platforms and exploring a centrally funded, regionally delivered UK model, the project aims to embed these monitoring capabilities into protected-site management and multi-species, ecosystem-based recommendations.