South Rigg Marine Conservation Zone Monitoring Report and Feasibility Study

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is seeking a contractor to produce a comprehensive monitoring report on the South Rigg Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) based on offshore survey data collected in September-October 2024. The report will synthesize seabed imagery, infaunal macrofaunal data, and particle size analysis to assess habitat conditions and progress toward conservation objectives. The contractor will describe the extent and distribution of circalittoral mud habitats, document sea pens and burrowing megafauna, analyze infaunal community structure using statistical methods, investigate environmental factors influencing community variation, identify non-indigenous species, and report on anthropogenic activity visible in seabed imagery. The work will follow JNCC reporting standards and provide a transparent audit record with clear documentation of methods, results, limitations, and recommendations for future monitoring. This is a trial project to test the effectiveness of commissioning external contractors for monitoring report preparation. Key deliverables include a structured monitoring report due by December 2026, with project initiation in July 2026 and final review completion in January 2027. All materials must meet UK accessibility regulations.