Using AI and drone technology to protect seals in Norfolk - Natural England

The survey results of a Natural England two-year pilot project to monitor seal populations are in.

The two-year project has used drone technology combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor seal populations and their pups off the coast of Norfolk.

In December 2024, a team of specialists from Natural England launched a drone over the beach at Winterton-on-Sea in Norfolk. Instance segmentation (a type of AI), was then used to automatically detect individual seals from the drone imagery and distinguish between adult seals and whitecoat pups, even when grouped closely together.

The survey identified over 8,500 seals along an 8 kilometre stretch of shoreline, in comparison to a volunteer-led ground count which recorded more than 6,200 seals.

Traditionally, seal population monitoring relied on manual ground observations and aerial surveys, which posed a challenge in terms of collecting accurate data, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. Now, drones equipped with high-resolution cameras can capture imagery from 110 meters above, minimising disturbance to the seals.

Gabriella Fasoli, Earth Observation Higher Data Scientist at Natural England, said: “The AI model detected over 8,500 seals while the volunteers on the ground counted 6,200. This difference is likely due to the drone’s aerial perspective, which provides a unique viewpoint from above, allowing for a more accurate count by detecting seals that may be hidden or less visible from the ground.”

Although these new monitoring methods have the potential to enhance the accuracy of our population assessments for the UK’s seals, volunteers on the ground will remain crucial to documenting and protecting them.