The MEIP is a 2018 NERC policy which aims to provide a standardised best-practice approach to assessing, documenting and mitigating the environmental impacts of all NERC-funded research cruises and cruises occurring on NERC vessels.
The implications of this policy are that project-specific Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Marine Environmental Mitigation Plans (MEMPs) must be prepared in advance of marine research cruises. An EIA Questionnaire will be sent out to PIs once their funding has been confirmed. The purpose of the questionnaire is to gather more detailed information about the cruise activities, and is what will inform the EIA and MEMP.
The costs of the mitigation measures outlined in the MEMP will be borne by NERC (except for training costs of MMOs and PAM operators, which remain the responsibility of the PI).
A summary of the process can be found here.
A copy of the policy can be downloaded here.