Funder: Horizon Europe
21 partners including research, technology and fisheries stakeholders from 9 countries are part of the Marine Beacon consortium and will closely collaborate with sister EU-funded projects REDUCE and EU LIFE CIBBRINA, fisheries and regulators and others to support project objectives.
Role: ATU Partner PI, WP7 Lead, Steering Committee Member
ATU Co-investigators: Cóilín Minto, Joanne O'Brien, Allan McDevitt, and Georgia Novak
The key objective of Marine Beacon is to address the impact of bycatch on the decline of marine biodiversity by producing the knowledge and tools to effectively reduce the bycatch and subsequent mortality of PETS within European waters and beyond.
Bycatch, the unintentional capture of non-target marine animals during fishing, is considered one of the greatest threats to marine species globally. This threat is particularly significant for protected, endangered and threatened species (PETS), including marine mammals, seabirds, turtles and sensitive fish species, with their bycatch threatening marine ecosystem health. While bycatch of PETS is recognized as a significant issue, advances in fully understanding risks to PETS have been limited, due to current inability to effectively monitor wide ranging, highly mobile and cryptic species. There has been further lack in advancement in approaches to reduce such risks. These issues all hinder Member States ability to eliminate and significantly reduce bycatch. Marine Beacon will respond to these challenges, working across a regional seas scale to identifying where significant gaps in understanding lie, and adopt innovative approaches to produce the knowledge and tools to better understand bycatch risk and vulnerability. Next generation monitoring tools will be produced and developed to improve understanding of the distribution and abundance of PETS in addition to the levels in which they interact with fisheries. Cutting-edge mitigation tools and techniques will then be extensively tested across diverse fisheries and regions to ensure transferable outputs are generated to significantly mitigate against bycatch risk. Marine Beacon will facilitate the uptake and adoption of its targeted outputs by policy, management, and industry by adopting a stakeholder centered approach, engaging and collaborating with stakeholder throughout the project to producing best acceptable solutions. Importantly, Marine Beacon will ensure long-term applicability and impact of outputs beyond the lifetime of the project through the production of a suite of decision support tools to ensure all measures to better monitor PETS and mitigate against bycatch risk are effectively targeted.
website https://marinebeacon.eu/
Funder: Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS)
Role: Principal Investigator
Co-investigators: Eunice Pinn (University of Aberdeen)
Update and Revision of the ASCOBANS Conservation Plan for Harbour Porpoises in the North Sea (North Sea Plan), including the following activities:
a) Review existing material and research results detailed in the TOR;
b) Prepare a detailed draft revision of the North Sea Plan (Draft 1), following the “Guidance for the Development of ASCOBANS Species Action Plans” and in close consultation with the North Sea Group and the ASCOBANS Secretariat.
Final Conservation Plan available at ascobans_mop10_doc6.1.3b_nsp-revision.pdf
Funder: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Role: Principal Investigator
Co-investigators: Dr Outi Tervo (Greenland Institute of Natural Resources) and Kimberly Tuytens (ATU)
As part of Ireland’s work in support of the OSPAR Biodiversity Committee and its subsidiary group dealing with OSPAR-listed threatened and declining species/habitats (see www.ospar.org/work-areas/bdc/species-habitats), in December 2021 a commitment was made by Ireland to undertake a desk-based scientific project to examine:
a) what specific ongoing management measures are in place to mitigate anthropogenic threats to Bowhead whale, Northern Right whale and Blue whale within the OSPAR maritime area, and
b) what additional or new management actions, if any, could usefully be brought forward for consideration by OSPAR Contracting Parties, that will help to deliver tangible and significant improvements in the status of the listed whale species.
This scoping exercise is expected to partly contribute to delivery on OSPAR’s North-East Atlantic Environment Strategy (NEAES 2030) under operational objective S5.O5, which states that:
“By 2025 OSPAR will have implemented all agreed measures to enable the recovery of OSPAR Listed threatened and/or declining species and habitats and will take additional measures as needed.”
This work is also intended to facilitate, where possible, OSPAR’s delivery on Collective Action 24 which is as follows:
Developing, within the competence of OSPAR, effective mitigation actions against further anthropogenic threats to whale populations and incorporate them into appropriate measures for the protection of these species.
Funder: Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship Programme
Role: ATU Principal supervisor
PhD Student: Sofia Albrecht
Co-investigators: Cóilín Minto, Orla Slattery and Luca Mirimin (ATU co-supervisors), Emer Rogan (University College Cork, Ireland) and Jean-Luc Jung (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, France)
Overfishing has massively depleted several target species in European waters, altering marine food webs and impacting populations of top predators. Such complex interactions are addressed within ecosystem-based fisheries management, as well as OSPAR’s biodiversity indicators for monitoring ecosystem state. The common dolphin is one of the most abundant cetaceans in the North-east Atlantic, playing a key functional role as a top predator. Large-scale movements in recent years have resulted in increased numbers inhabiting continental shelf and contiguous waters and increased exposure, at the population level, to the direct and indirect effects of fishing. Due to their high energy requirements, common dolphins target energy-dense prey and increasingly, stranded dolphins are showing evidence of starvation/emaciation. Through availing of samples and data collected by Irish stranding and observer bycatch programmes over a 25-year period and a multi-disciplinary approach, this unique study will investigate temporal changes in diet and nutritional status in this species and identify drivers of change. Work will include conventional stomach contents analysis and progress novel molecular approaches for detecting prey DNA, to assess occurrence of dietary shifts, potential consumption of lower quality prey, a nnual energy requirements and prey biomass consumption. Spatial modelling will assess spatial-temporal variations in prey energy densities, and potential drivers of dolphin distribution patterns. While, nutritional status indicators focusing on stress physiology will provide a greater/deeper/novel understanding of the biological pathways underpinning nutritional deficit in cetaceans. Through developing multiple methods of enquiry and generating new data sources and evidence based on a more complete understanding of its dietary consumption, preferences and requirements, interactions with fisheries, and changes in predator-prey dynamics due to overfishing and environmental change, work will inform policy makers and managers on the sustainable use of fishery resources, employment of a nutritional status biodiversity indicator for cetaceans, and the conservation status of common dolphins.
Funder: National Parks & Wildlife Service
Role: Co-investigator
Co-investigators: Olga Lyashevska (PI), Cóilín Minto, Joanne O’Brien, and Simon Berrow (GMIT)
The aim of this project is to investigate the influence of environmental and observational effects on Harbour Porpoise survey counts from the NPWS monitoring programme conducted across three spatial areas of conservation in 2007, 2008, 2013-2016 and 2018. First, the detection probability function will be estimated using distant sampling methods extended with covariates in order to understand their effect on the function. Then, the probability of detection will be incorporated into spatial model (density surface model). Finally, using the estimated density surface model, the power to detect changes at given sampling intensities (survey intervals, number of surveys) will be calculated on a site-by-site basis.
Funder: Marine Institute/EMFF
Role: Principal Investigator
Co-investigators: Olga Lyashevska, Cóilín Minto (ATU), and Rosie Williams (Institute of Zoology, London)
The objectives of this tender:
review and compile (PHASE 1) pollutant data and to report an MI database template,
collate contemporary and historical contaminant data available for cetaceans in Irish and contiguous waters,
integrate and interrogate available marine mammal post‐mortem information with the pollutant information;
Develop end of project products that includes;
an assessment of the pollutant burdens and associated risks to small cetaceans in Irish waters,
supporting MSFD GES assessments,
developing recommendations for future monitoring and assessment.
Funder: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Role: Principal Investigator
Co-investigators: Kristina Steinmetz, Luca Mirimin, (GMIT) and Oliver O'Cadhla (DHPLG)
The main objectives of this project are to: (1) investigate population genetic structure among protected species of seal around Ireland and further afield; (2) investigate harbour seal habitat use in chosen SACs and around Ireland using a combination of photo-identification and genetic methodologies as well as citizen science; and (3) provide high quality knowledge required for implementation of marine biodiversity obligations and policy including the proposition of appropriate assessment units for seal populations under the MSFD.
website: sealresearchireland.wixsite.com/srpi
facebook.com/SealResearchIreland/
Funder: Environmental Protection Agency
Role: Leader of WP 4 - Interactions and Impact of MPs to freshwater species and habitats in Ireland
Co-investigators: Ian O’Connor (PI), Anne Marie Mahon, Heather Lally, James O’Connor, Róisín Nash (GMIT), John O’Sullivan, Michael Bruen, Linda Heery (University College Dublin) and Bart Koelmans (Wageningen University & Research Centre, The Netherlands)
This multidisciplinary project aims to inform the development and implementation of policy through improved understanding of Microplastic (MP) sources, pathways and environmental fate in freshwater systems in Ireland. The project is being delivered by a multidisciplinary team of biologists, limnologists, environmental engineers and industrial partners through a combination of technical, communication and project management work packages. Collaborators include the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), GMIT, the Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR) and the Earth Institute, UCD, Wageningen University and Carey Building Contractors.
website: freshwatermicroplastics.com
Funder: Marine Institute/EMFF
Role: Lead Scientist
Co-investigators: Simon Berrow (PI), Stephanie Levesque and Mags Daly (Irish Whale and Dolphin Group), and Jim O’Donovan (Regional Veterinary Laboratory)
As part of the Marine Institute’s assessment of species catch composition in fisheries posing a risk to biodiversity, funding was allocated to assess causes of death, through international best practice in post-mortem examination, in common dolphins, harbour porpoises and striped dolphins that stranded around the south and west coasts of Ireland between 2017 and 2019.
Funder: Marine Institute Cullen Fellowship
Role: PhD Co-supervisor
Co-investigators: Ian O’ Connor (PI), Philip White, Simon Berrow (GMIT), Evin McGovern, Brendan McHugh (Marine Institute), and Stephen Newton (Birdwatch Ireland)
PhD Student: Andrew Power
This project is a collaboration between the Marine Institute, GMIT and Birdwatch Ireland. It combines the expertise of analytical chemists and, megafauna biologists & ecologists to inform regulatory monitoring of contaminant trends over broad spatial scales and assess the risk to predators from contaminants in the Irish marine environment. The project aims and objectives will be achieved through the selection of suitable seabird indicator species and sites and analysis for legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. More specifically the Cullen Fellow and Supervisory Team will: Identify and evaluate target species, and sites /colonies based on published information and expert knowledge of known foraging area and range, feeding habits, clutch size and variability, availability of ongoing biological data and, practical issues of access and licences. Conduct a baseline investigation of organohalogens (both legacy and emerging pollutants) and, mercury and other metals in eggs from species and locations identified in Objective 1. Investigate variability in terms of spatial and temporal components such as: within clutch, within colony, between colonies, inter annually and between species. Use stable isotope analysis to assess investment strategy, diet and foraging of target seabird species. Inform recommendations and technical guidelines (including reference and/or target levels) for monitoring contaminants in seabird eggs under the MSFD and assess the risks posed to seabirds from contaminants in the Irish marine environment.
Role: Co-investigator
Co-investigators: Emma Betty (PI, Massey University, NZ), Karen Stockin (Massey University, NZ), Mark Orams (Auckland University of Technology, NZ), and Barbara Breen (Auckland University of Technology, NZ)
The aim of this PhD project was to improve our understanding of the life history of long-finned pilot whales (LFPWs) in New Zealand waters and to identify any relationships between pilot whale mass-stranding events and life history characteristics that may have implications for conservation. To achieve this aim, there were five key research objectives:
Objective 1: Describe the growth rates, allometric relationships and sexual dimorphism of LFPWs stranded on the New Zealand coast.
Objective 2: Examine the age structure and construct age and sex-specific life tables, survivorship curves, and mortality schedules for G. m. edwardii in New Zealand waters, using age-at-death data from stranded individuals.
Objective 3: Classify the stages of sexual maturation in male G. m edwardii, and define indicators of sexual maturity.
Objective 4: Estimate the reproductive parameters of female G. m edwardii, and investigate evidence of reproductive senescence and seasonality.
Objective 5: Identify spatiotemporal trends in the New Zealand LFPW stranding record.