Surveillance and Monitoring
Through surveillance and monitoring we record the status and
trends of species and habitats and the pressures that affect them.
This information gathered is necessary to help us identify any
problems, target conservation action where it is most needed and
measure the success of conservation effort.
JNCC has an important role in co-ordinating
and directing surveillance in the UK, for example, through the
development of the UK Terrestrial Biodiversity Surveillance
Strategy, the Marine Surveillance and Monitoring Programme,
coordination of aspects of the UK
Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy, and through the
framing of common standards for monitoring protected sites.
We also maintain an overview of information on land-based
biodiversity surveillance schemes, which forms part of the
UK Environmental Observation
Framework (EOF). It is collating information on all
environmental observation and monitoring in the UK, including data
on pressures.
JNCC also invests in and develops surveillance
schemes through partnerships with other organisations. In
the marine environment, we are working with the country
conservation agencies on a research and development programme that
will advise governments on biodiversity monitoring systems.
This is presently concentrating on habitats, seabirds and cetaceans
(whales, dolphins and porpoises), and is taking place within the UK
Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy (UKMMAS) process.
The programme is a four-year commitment that aims to address all
policy drivers that act on the marine environment in a holistic
way, without limiting our ability to advise upon future pressures
and policy responses.
Surveillance results and reports