FIELD OPS · CONTROLLED DOCUMENT
AE-SOP-0420 — Rewilding Site Selection & Release Drop
To select rewilding sites and execute the field release drop, so that a cleared cohort meets a verified habitat under conditions that give it the best chance to establish. The procedure guarantees that a candidate site passes habitat, protection, and connectivity criteria before a drop is planned, that the release is timed to favourable conditions, and that post-drop telemetry closes the loop — because the readiness of the stock means nothing if the site or the moment of release is wrong.
ActiveField OpsRev C
Doc Control AE-SOP-0420Revision CEffective 2090-05-28Next Review 2091-05-28Owner Restoration & RewildingApprover Marine ScienceStatus ActiveClass RESTRICTED // TIDEWATER-EYES-ONLY
1. Purpose
To select rewilding sites and execute the field release drop, so that a cleared cohort meets a verified habitat under conditions that give it the best chance to establish. The procedure guarantees that a candidate site passes habitat, protection, and connectivity criteria before a drop is planned, that the release is timed to favourable conditions, and that post-drop telemetry closes the loop — because the readiness of the stock means nothing if the site or the moment of release is wrong.
2. Scope
All field site selection and release-drop execution for rewilding cohorts.
- In scope: Candidate site scoring, protection and connectivity checks, drop timing, field release, and post-drop monitoring.
- Out of scope: Stock and habitat readiness sign-off, which follows AE-SOP-0410; coral-specific outplanting at restoration sites, which follows AE-SOP-0205.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Candidate Site | A prospective release location scored against habitat, protection, and connectivity criteria. |
| Connectivity | A site's linkage to existing populations and habitat, supporting cohort establishment and gene flow. |
| Release Window | The timing — season, tide, light — chosen to favour cohort survival at the drop. |
| Drop Method | The release technique — soft-acclimation cage, direct drop, or staged — matched to species and site. |
| Establishment | Confirmed post-release survival and site fidelity of the cohort, the measure of a successful drop. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|
| Restoration & Rewilding (Owner) | Owns site selection and the drop; signs the site-selection authorisation. |
| Habitat Survey Team | Scores candidate sites against habitat, protection, and connectivity criteria. |
| Release Vessel Master | Executes the drop within the release window using the matched drop method. |
| NEREID | Scores connectivity, predicts the favourable release window, and tracks post-drop telemetry against establishment targets. |
5. Site Selection Scoring
| Criterion | Threshold | Weight | Block on Fail |
|---|
| Habitat quality / in range | Restored, within historic range | Mandatory | Reject site |
| Protection status | Protected or enforced no-take | Mandatory | Reject site |
| Connectivity | Linked to existing population | High | Score down |
| Release-window conditions | Favourable season / tide | Timing | Defer drop |
Note. Habitat and protection are mandatory pass criteria; a site failing either is rejected outright, and a drop is deferred rather than executed outside the favourable release window.
6. Materials & Equipment
- Candidate-site survey and scoring dataset
- Protection-status and connectivity layers
- Release vessel and matched drop gear (soft-acclimation cage / direct)
- Cleared, tagged release cohort from readiness sign-off
- Release-window forecast
- Post-drop telemetry and monitoring array
7. Procedure
7.1 Select
- Score candidate sites against habitat, protection, and connectivity criteria.
- Reject any site failing the mandatory habitat or protection criteria.
- Sign the site-selection authorisation for the passing site.
7.2 Drop
- Time the release to the favourable window; defer rather than drop outside it.
- Execute the drop with the species- and site-matched method.
- Confirm the cohort is the cleared, tagged readiness cohort before release.
7.3 Monitor
- Track post-drop telemetry against establishment targets.
- Record site fidelity and early survival.
- Feed establishment outcomes back into site scoring and breeding planning.
8. Records
- Site-selection scoring and authorisation (retained 7 years)
- Protection and connectivity assessment
- Release-drop execution record with method and window
- Post-drop telemetry and establishment data
- Site-fidelity and survival monitoring
9. References
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|
| A | 2088-06-21 | Restoration & Rewilding | Initial issue; site-scoring criteria and drop execution established. |
| B | 2089-08-14 | Restoration & Rewilding | Added mandatory protection criterion and connectivity scoring. |
| C | 2090-05-28 | Restoration & Rewilding | NEREID connectivity scoring, release-window prediction, and establishment tracking added. |