Fugro extends role in Norway’s 2024 MAREANO programme for seabed mapping with eDNA service

Supported by the Central Government of Norway, MAREANO is a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at mapping the seabed to generate scientific information for the responsible management and preservation of Norway’s marine resources.

This year’s survey covered an extensive 2,823 km² region in the North Sea, with water depths ranging from 146 to 337 metres. Using the Fugro Discovery, equipped with high-resolution multibeam echo sounders and sub-bottom data acquisition systems, the primary goal is to gather seamless datasets, integrating bathymetry, water column, and acoustic backscatter data.

Fugro employed cutting-edge sensors and advanced calibration techniques tailored to these challenging conditions. The survey was completed in September and work is now progressing on the final reports and data that will be available via VirGeo®, Fugro's web-based Geo-data platform.

In a first for the programme, Fugro included environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling as part of the survey datasets. This cutting-edge approach provides valuable insights into biodiversity and community composition, which are essential for projects aiming for net biodiversity gain and for monitoring endangered and invasive species. eDNA enhances existing environmental sampling programmes to gain deeper ecological insights, complementing other survey activities such as metocean, geophysical, and geotechnical surveys.