30×30 progress tracker Global marine protection is at 8.4% versus the 30% target for 2030; at the current pace, the target is still ~83 years away.
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Why integrated methods matter This integrated approach is becoming essential to reduce uncertainty, close data gaps and produce evidence that can keep pace with rising development and regulatory demands. A recent Scottish government programme illustrates the strength of this approach. Digital aerial surveys (DAS) provided wide spatial coverage of marine mammals across offshore areas. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) added continuous temporal data, detecting animals that might never be observed during aerial or vessel surveys. Together, these methods produced a far more reliable picture of distribution and movement, reducing geographic and seasonal bias.⁴ We use the same integrated philosophy for our work in Australia. Aerial surveys reveal distribution and migration patterns over large spatial scales. Vessel- based surveys add fine-scale behavioural detail to understand how areas are used by different species. We deploy PAM during all stages of projects, including noisy construction phases, to simultaneously monitor noise levels and track real-time responses from sensitive species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, which detects species from genetic traces in the water, further boosts species detection, with global trials showing the method can identify up to twice as many species as visual surveys alone.⁵ Insights from Indigenous and local communities add vital cultural and ecological understanding, strengthening site interpretation. Animal tracking is increasingly complementing these approaches on GHD projects, helping link species presence to movement patterns and habitat use across project lifecycles.
Each method offers unique strengths and limitations. Integration closes critical evidence gaps, but it also introduces new complexity. Combining aerial imagery, acoustic records, eDNA data and animal tracking insights can generate datasets of enormous size and diversity. As marine projects scale and project timelines tighten, the challenge is no longer just collecting better data — it’s analysing it quickly enough to inform real-world decisions. This is where AI is beginning to make a meaningful difference.
8 | GHD | Nexus Magazine
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