Skills & services

Field systems that turn survey design into reliable marine evidence

MER supports marine projects with mobilisation planning, vessel and dive operations, sample collection, fixed-station deployment, underwater imaging and georeferenced field data capture from coastal to deeper-water settings.

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Marine fieldwork is where a project either gains a defensible evidence base or loses control of it. A technically good survey design can still fail if the deployment platform is wrong, the sampling window is poor, the access strategy is weak, or the chain of evidence from station to sample to dataset is not properly controlled. MER supports field delivery as an integrated system: survey planning, mobilisation, safe deployment, georeferenced observations, sample handling, image verification and field QA/QC, all linked directly to mapping and imaging, ecological surveys, laboratory analysis, monitoring programmes and data interpretation.

This includes nearshore and offshore field campaigns, diver- and ROV-supported observations, tow-camera and drone-assisted verification, water-column profiling, sediment, water and biological sample collection, moored and buoy-based sensor deployments, repeated station visits, post-event response surveys, and field protocols tailored for EIAs, route studies, habitat surveys, monitoring programmes and applied research. The point is not just to collect data, but to collect the right evidence in a form that remains usable all the way through analysis and reporting.

MER’s field capability also supports more complex and research-linked work, including deeper-water surveys, mesophotic investigations, offshore megafauna observations and multi-platform surveys that combine visual, acoustic, georeferenced and sample-based evidence within a single field workflow.

Services, skills & methods

Survey planning, mobilisation and station design To match field methods, weather windows, access constraints, depth ranges and logistics to the actual question being asked.
Vessel-based coastal and offshore field operations For deployment, recovery, navigation-linked survey execution and integrated instrument use across nearshore and deeper settings.
Diver, tow-camera, ROV and drone-assisted verification To document habitats, structures, plume behaviour, species presence and site condition where one survey method alone is not enough.
Water, sediment and biological sample collection Using fit-for-purpose field methods for chemistry, macrofauna, habitat condition and broader environmental analysis.
Fixed stations, moorings, buoys and repeat deployments For current, wave, turbidity, acoustic or water-column measurements that need more than a one-off visit.
Chain of custody, georeferencing and field QA/QC So observations, images, samples and sensor data remain traceable and decision-ready from collection to interpretation.

Field systems & deployment capability

MER combines vessel operations, advanced dive systems, underwater video and photography, drone-based observation, ROV and tow-camera surveys, CTD and multi-sensor water-column profiling, sediment and water samplers, current and wave systems, hydrophone-based acoustic monitoring and side-scan sonar within one field workflow. The strength is not one platform in isolation, but MER’s ability to integrate airborne, surface, water-column, seabed, acoustic and visual methods into reliable, georeferenced marine evidence.

Typical outputs

  • Field logs, station registers and deployment records
  • Georeferenced sample points, tracks and survey locations
  • Photo, video, ROV and tow-camera verification records
  • Water, sediment and biological sample sets ready for analysis
  • Time-series datasets from fixed stations, moorings or buoys
  • Field summaries that feed directly into lab analysis, modelling and reporting

Example Projects

Integrated deployment Vasilikos LNG construction phase Buoy-mounted current and wave monitoring, continuous turbidity logging, hydrophone deployment, water and sediment sampling, fish sampling and diver-based Posidonia follow-up. Multi-platform fieldwork Blue SCS ROV visual survey in Cypriot waters and the EEZ, offshore megafauna observations and drone-based plume monitoring during submarine cable works. Deeper-water surveys MESOPHOS ROV-supported benthic surveys and mesophotic field data collection across deeper habitats in Cyprus and UK Overseas Territories. Applied baseline Latsi Port expansion Sediment and water sampling, macrofauna work, underwater biodiversity census and tow-camera-supported habitat ground-truthing for a port-expansion study.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of marine fieldwork does MER support?

MER supports vessel-based surveys, diver operations, underwater imaging, ROV and tow-camera work, physicochemical or biological sample collection, water-column profiling, fixed-station deployments and repeat field campaigns.

Can MER support both one-off surveys and longer deployment-based monitoring?

Yes. MER can support single field campaigns, repeat station visits, event-response surveys and longer-duration fixed-station or buoy-based deployments.

Does MER only collect data, or also connect fieldwork to lab analysis and reporting?

MER can support the full chain: field design, collection, georeferencing, sample handling, linked lab analysis, interpretation and technical reporting.

Can MER work in deeper water or harder-to-access locations?

Yes. MER’s project work includes ROV-supported deeper-water surveys, mesophotic investigations and multi-platform field campaigns in both coastal and offshore settings.