MERLIN Radar Deployed Offshore for Bird Migration Monitoring

Ocergy, Inc. and DeTect, Inc. have initiated the first phase of a collaborative project with the successful offshore deployment of the MERLIN™ Bird and Drone Detection Radar System.

The radar was recently integrated onto Ocergy’s BLUE ORACLE environmental monitoring buoy, now stationed approximately 30 kilometers off the coast of Port la Nouvelle, directly within the Gulf of Lyon’s key migratory corridor.

Initial operational results are said to have been highly promising. DeTect stated that the stability provided by Ocergy’s OCG-Data™ platform has proven instrumental in ensuring the precision of avian tracking data. The company also revealed the MERLIN radar system is performing with exceptional reliability, and real-time data is being streamed seamlessly through Ocergy’s proprietary SCADA and data management infrastructure.

Gary Andrews, CEO of DeTect, said, “This collaboration represents a significant advancement in offshore bird migration monitoring technology. The combination of Ocergy’s inherently stable OCG-Data offshore buoy with our MERLIN advanced radar technology creates an ideal solution for gathering precise avian data.”

Dominique Roddier, CEO of Ocergy, added, “This marks the first successful deployment of a bird radar on a low-cost dedicated floater in a far offshore location. This groundbreaking achievement enables us to collect crucial bird migration data in the actual areas used for offshore wind developments.”

This joint effort is focused on validating the integrated technology while gathering essential data on migratory bird patterns across Europe. The insights gained will support environmental impact assessments for offshore wind and marine infrastructure projects, and contribute to a broader scientific understanding of avian migration dynamics in the region.