TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE SAMPLING ANALYSIS

Description

RSPB are seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced contractor for the provision of aquatic invertebrate sampling analysis services. The services are to be delivered by 30 November 2026. The contract will commence on 7 September 2026. This work is part of the 'Saving Scotland's Scoters' Development Phase project, which is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot. Lot 1: Common Scoters (Melanitta nigra), a species of diving duck, breed in a small number of locations in northern Scotland but their populations have plummeted in recent decades and they are critically endangered. The work is part of a development study designed to assess the aquatic food resources available to Common Scoters at crucial stages during their breeding cycle. The Saving Scotland’s Scoters project has collected aquatic invertebrate samples from a suite of 21 freshwater lochs at five sites across northern Scotland. The samples have been collected in two batches, from known feeding areas for the ducks/ducklings in each of the selected lochs. This study aims to capture information on the availability of different aquatic invertebrate species at each loch and their relative abundance in the feeding areas. ‘Saving Scotland’s Scoters’ is a Development Phase project supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot. The specification for one tender is described within the Invitation to Tender.