Seabird data platform celebrates successful first six months supporting energy industry

THE Offshore Bird Portal (OBP) has recorded 51 platforms signing up since its launch in January by global energy consultancy Xodus. 

The not-for-profit portal aims to aid the recording and safeguarding of offshore species across the North Sea, where it has expanded its reach in the past six months. 

The portal grants access to its database and toolkit, which was established to ensure a better scientific understanding and raise ecological awareness across the energy industry  

Oil and gas operators from across the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) have signed up to OBP to access relevant geographic and seasonal data of seabirds and migrants (passerines) gathered long-term on offshore platforms and structures. 

A team of ecologists at Xodus work to maintain the portal, handle data submissions and provide a bird identification service to help offshore personnel with challenging species observations.   

Dr MacNeill Ferguson, Ecological Specialist at Xodus says: “We are pleased with the response to the portal in its first few months of operation.  

“With more than 50 platforms signed up to contribute bird sighting data to the wider energy community, interest in the OBP has expanded to sectors beyond oil and gas. 

“These industries share common goals in better understanding the distribution of birds at sea.

“The facility to record other sea life such as marine mammals, bats and insects as well has also proved of interest to our contributors. 

“The greater the spread of contributions and data points we have, the more informative the dataset will become.”