Every year of the Project implementation all the data obtained during the Project will be compared with the existing data to determine changes of the species and habitats, whether the data that was already collected in field sessions is enough to make decisions, how many % of detected species and habitats are under the protection and on what % the distribution of species and habitats increase with the actions of the Project.
Results in the Mid-term of the Project:
During the first year of implementation of the Project, all together scientists from LIAE spent 14 active days in the field, collecting 324 video observation points and 534 acoustic observation points in the depth of 28 to 50 metres. All field works were implemented in Southern pilot-territory of the Project. Scientists from BIOR performed first out of planned eight season surveys in all three pilot-territories. After the first field season there is still lots of work to be done to quantify target habitats by analysing samples and video records.
During the second year of implementation of the Project, all together scientists from LIAE spent 20 days, collecting 354 video observations and 981 acoustic observations, allowing to finalise the observations in the Southern pilot-territory.
During the second year of implementation of the Project first avio-counts were performed in all three pilot-territories. Conclusions say that at least two pilot-territories could reach the criteria for the protection of birds in accordance with the Birds Directive. To avoid casual observations, two more avio-counts must be realised.
Scientists from BIOR in 2022 performed spring, summer and autumn gillnet surveys and summer and winter hydroacoustic surveys. Gillnet sampling and underwater video recording were done in 30 stations. Ichthyoplankton sampling was done in 14 stations. Until the end of the Project, two winter, and one for spring and autumn gillnet surveys and summer and winter hydroacoustic surveys remained.
Surveys with side scan sonar method were finalised in all three pilot-territories of the Project in October 2022. Obtained side-scan sonar data is compared to the results of video observations. All data adds three-dimensional structure to observed habitats and allows to establish a targeted observation point grid to focus the attention on potential hotspots of interest for the rest of not yet video observed areas.
