Southwest Coast Of Ireland Research Articles

Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) total length estimation using laser photogrammetry off the southwest coast of Ireland

Measurements from 106 stranded short‐beaked common dolphins along the Irish coast were taken between March 2017 and March 2023. Data were collected from the Irish Necropsy Project and Irish Cetacean Stranding Scheme. Total length measurements were gathered from 103 individuals where the tail flukes were still attached. These ranged between 96–238cm, mean 185.7cm, SD 31.43cm. Males (n = 58) ranged from 96–238cm, averaging 189cm, SD 34.64cm. Females (n = 40) measured 117.5–231cm, averaging 181cm, SD 25.80cm. Scaled dorsal fin photos were taken from stranded dolphins to formulate an equation to estimate the total length of live dolphins. The total lengths of 29 live common dolphins were estimated off the southwest coast of Ireland using laser photogrammetry and dorsal fin dimensions between March 2018–April 2019. Total lengths for three stranded dolphins with amputated tail flukes were also estimated. Dorsal fin base lengths were the most accurate predictor of total length R2 = 0.78. Total length estimates ranged between 143.77–242.25cm, averaging 194.78cm, SD 20.05cm. The adoption of laser photogrammetry as a measurement tool warrants further exploration as a means to reduce potential disruption from aerial systems and enhance the utility of behavioural and photo‐ID images. This study describes a non‐invasive technique with a range of possible applications for understanding pod size structure and seasonality due to this species’ approachable behaviour and inquisitive nature.

Impacts of climate change on coastal archaeological sites in County Kerry, Ireland

This paper deals with the effects of climate change on coastal heritage sites located on the south west coast of Ireland. The three case studies discussed below are National Monument sites in State care. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for their day-to-day maintenance and conservation. The sites used as case studies are Dunbeg Promontory Fort, Skellig Michael and Ballinskelligs Priory. Climate change has been affecting these sites and causing damage to their historic fabric. The OPW has taken mitigating measures to reduce the impact of climate change on these sites and protect their architectural, archaeological and natural features.

Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry: A Lonely Island Hermitage at the Edge of the World?

The spectacular monastic complex on the rocky island of Skellig off the south-west coast of Ireland is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been subject to archaeological excavations and surveys since the 1980s. In recent years, it has been the location of episodes in the Star Wars films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi which has led to some diminution of its cultural heritage and, in particular, its place in the history of universal monasticism. This article attempts to restore its significance to world monasticism by reading its location and landscape through the lens of monastic literature and monastic ideology.

Geophysical and geochemical analysis of shallow gas and an associated pockmark field in Bantry Bay, Co. Cork, Ireland

An integrated geophysical, geological, and geochemical investigation of seabed fluid venting was carried out in upper Bantry Bay, a large marine inlet on the southwest coast of Ireland. The results provide evidence of the seafloor venting of gas rich fluids, resulting in the formation of a pockmark field identified here for the first time. The pockmarks occur in an area where sub-bottom profiles provide evidence of chimney-like features interpreted to record upward gas migration through Quaternary sediments to the seafloor. Three vibrocores up to 6 m long were acquired in water depths of 24–34 m, two from the pockmark field and one from outside. Methane of predominantly biogenic origin was quantified in all three cores by headspace analysis of sediment sub-samples. Well-defined sulfate methane transition zones (SMTZs) were observed in two of the cores, the shallowest (1.25 m below sea floor (mbsf)) inside the pockmark field and the other (3.75 mbsf) outside. It is likely that an SMTZ occurs at the location of the third core, also within the pockmark field, although deeper than the samples obtained during this study. Gas migration towards the seafloor is suggested to involve both diffuse pore fluid migration across wide areas and focused flow through the pockmarks, together driven by methanogenesis of pre-glacial lacustrine sediments preserved in a bedrock basin, and possible gas release from the Owenberg River Fault. Analysis of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and archaeal isoprenoid hydrocarbons was used to investigate the microbial ecology of these sediments. Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) may play a role in controlling release of CH4 to the water column and atmosphere in this shallow gas setting, potentially mediated by syntrophic sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME).

Reliving Island Life: Staging Stories of the Blasket Islands

The Blasket Islands are located off the south-west coast of Ireland. No longer inhabited, the Great Blasket Island and its distinctive culture have been documented by a variety of writers and are celebrated today in an interpretative centre on the mainland and in performances by Tire, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland. Siamsa developed from local initiatives in North Kerry during the early 1960s and is located today in Tralee, Co. Kerry. It aims to present Irish folklore and folk culture through the medium of theatre involving music, song, dance and mime but invariably no dialogue. In this paper, I focus on the production Oilean, based loosely on the stories of the Blasket Islanders, which was initially devised as part of the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the departure of the last inhabitants of the islands in 2003.

The morphological response of foredunes at a breached barrier system to winter 2013/2014 storms on the southwest coast of Ireland

AbstractThe level of storminess in Ireland during the winter of 2013/2014 was exceptional, the effects of which cost the Irish state in excess of €260 million in infrastructure repair and insurance claims. In Ireland, a lack of coastal process data from monitoring programmes means that the response of protective barrier coasts to such events remains largely un‐investigated. This study addresses this issue through an examination of the geomorphic impacts of recent storms, including those that occurred during the winter 2013/2014, on a breached barrier on the southwest coast of Ireland. Data from a two‐year terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) monitoring campaign shows that the winter 2013/2014 events caused a major (>50 m) dune recession at Rossbehy, County Kerry. Results from a simple linear regression analysis indicate storm duration plays an important role in the removal of foredunes at the study site. Given the fact that the frequency of intense storms in the vicinity of Ireland is forecast to increase within the next century, a scientific understanding of barrier response to such events is critical to inform sound management practices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessment of emerging biotoxins (pinnatoxin G and spirolides) at Europe's first marine reserve: Lough Hyne

Active and passive sampling methods were employed over a four-month period, at a site off the South-West coast of Ireland, to characterise the occurrence of cyclic imines in the water column. The marine toxins 13-desmethyl-SPXC, 20-methyl SPXG toxins and pinnatoxin G were detected using active sampling from Diaion HP-20 resin. Seven water depths were sampled to determine stratification of the toxins in the water column using Solid Phase Adsorption and Toxin Tracking (SPATT). Both 13-desmethyl-SPXC and pinnatoxin G were detected using two different resin types; Diaion HP-20 and Amberlite XAD761. HP-20 proved more effective at accumulating the toxins, with a higher percentage of positive samples and a higher ratio of toxin adsorbed relative to XAD761. No temporal variation in toxin-quantities was detected, indicating that there was no change in density of causative algal species in the water column. Pinnatoxin G was detected more frequently from surface to 30 m depth, with a similar pattern observed for 13-desmethyl-SPXC occurrence using XAD761. No difference in the occurrence of 13-desmethyl-SPXC was observed between depths using HP-20 resin. This is the first reported incidence of pinnatoxin G in Irish waters and highlights cyclic imines as emerging toxins in European waters.

A preliminary health survey of the hermit crab, Pagurus bernhardus, on the southwest coast of Ireland

During October and November of 2011 and 2012, 229 hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, were randomly collected from the intertidal shore at three locations along the southwest coast of Ireland. This is the first survey to assess the health status of this crustacean in Ireland. Carapace length and the sex of each crab were recorded. Crabs were screened for parasites by histology and the intensity and prevalence of infection was determined. Crabs of varying carapace length were screened. The only parasite observed in the crabs was Microphallus sp., the first record of this digenetic trematode in P. bernhardus in Europe.

Waterlogging affects the distribution of the saltmarsh plant Atriplex portulacoides (L.) Aellen

Atriplex portulacoides is a perennial halophyte common along northern European coasts. However it has been observed to be completely absent from peat based Ombrogenic Atlantic saltmarshes. The aim of this study was to elucidate the factors affecting the in situ distribution of A. portulacoides within saltmarsh sites including its absence on peat based saltmarshes. This was carried out through three approaches: by mapping the distribution of A. portulacoides within saltmarshes on the southwest coast of Ireland; by examining the ability of rooted cuttings of A. portulacoides to establish on peat and non-peat saltmarshes in situ; and finally by investigating experimentally the tolerance of A. portulacoides to waterlogging treatments. This study indicates that a combination of multiple abiotic and biotic factors, including intolerance to high soil moisture most likely determines the distribution of A. portulacoides.

Reproductive biology of the shore crab Carcinus maenas (Decapoda, Portunidae): a macroscopic and histological view

A histological study of the reproductive cycle of male and female shore crabs, Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus), was performed monthly on the South West coast of Ireland (from December 2006 to July 2008). The calculated sex ratio deviated from equality, 1:0.53, revealing a strong male bias. A system was devised, based on screening of tissue sections, to describe and stage gametogenic development. Histological examinations revealed that ovarian development occurred biannually, with a primary winter cycle in which the larger crabs reproduced and a secondary summer cycle, when smaller crabs reproduced. An association was observed where more of the larger specimens were caught in the summer months and the smaller specimens in the winter months, which inversely correlated with the segregated breeding cycles. There was strong evidence that mature male crabs could potentially copulate year round since all mature specimens, collected throughout the year, contained viable spermatozoa. Developmental stages of oogenesis and spermatogenesis were described to develop a practical gonadal index for this portunid crab, providing information on the biology of this species, which will be of benefit for fisheries management.

A mantle-derived dolomite silicocarbonatite from the southwest coast of Ireland

AbstractThe magma source and evolution of a zoned breccia pipe on the southern Beara Peninsula in southwest Ireland are investigated using the geochemistry of the host mineral assemblages. The clast-poor inner zone of the pipe has a magnesium-rich silicocarbonatite whole-rock composition (14.30 wt.% MgO; 31.80 wt.% SiO2). The silicocarbonatite has retained an ultimate mantle source 13C isotopic composition after metamorphism, consistent with the presence of mantle debris. The silicocarbonatite is Cr-, Ni- and Co-rich (847 ppm, 611 ppm and 60 ppm, respectively) but REE depleted compared with volcanic dolomite carbonatites worldwide. The mineral assemblage consists of Sr-rich (0.55 wt.% SrO) ferroan dolomite, magnesite and pseudomorphs of chlorite after phlogopite, consistent with derivation from a carbonated and hydrated mantle. However, chrome spinel crystals (≤4 40.14 wt.% Cr2O3) are compositionally indistinguishable from unmetasomatized spinel macrocrysts in kimberlites. The silicocarbonatite is inferred to represent a magma produced by partial melting of metasomatized mantle at physical conditions between those in which primary dolomite carbonatite and ultramafic magmas of high-pressure origin form. The primary silicocarbonatite magma ascended and sampled mantle material in a manner similar to kimberlite, and subsequently lost volatile components due to release of metasomatic fluids and later metamorphism.

Saltmarshes on peat substrate on the southwest coast of Ireland: edaphic parameters and plant species distribution

Saltmarshes on peat substrate on the southwest coast of Ireland: edaphic parameters and plant species distribution

Erosion management in Inch beach, South West Ireland

This paper describes the influences on operational management of erosion at Inch beach, Co. Kerry on the south west coast of Ireland with specific reference to the CONSCIENCE Frame of Reference for erosion management and the key concepts defined under the EUROSION project. It provides an insight of the wave climate and quantifies contemporary erosion patterns through a combination of field analysis and modelling. An attempt is made to assess the response of the coastline to storms with varied return periods and to place current change in an historical context. The reasons for the lack of application of these key concepts are explored in combination with the applicability of the Frame of Reference to the management of Inch Strand. This paper describes the outcomes of attempting to apply this Frame of Reference at Inch Strand and the affect that national coastal policy, or lack thereof, has on the utilisation of internationally recognised erosion management concepts by local stakeholders with responsibility for eroding coastlines. The paper is of significance not only to an Irish audience, but also the wider international community who may face similar challenges in managing their coastal resources.

Spatial variability in diet, condition and growth of juvenile plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) at sandy beach nursery grounds on the south-west coast of Ireland

Characterization of suitable habitat for settlement of juvenile flatfish is important for the management of nursery areas. Food availability is one important determinant of habitat quality that can affect the condition and growth, and thus survival, of flatfish. Spatial and temporal variation in diet has been widely studied for several species of flatfish. However, levels of intraspecific variation in diet at small spatial scales are relatively unknown, with most studies focusing only on large scale variability. This study investigates how diet, growth and condition of juvenile plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, varies over two spatial scales (10s of kilometres and 100s of metres). Juvenile plaice were collected from three beaches and from three replicate hauls on each beach using a beach seine in September 2007 and 2008. Gut content analyses of 108 juvenile plaice within the size-range of 70–90 mm were carried out. Diet composition in plaice guts differed among beaches and hauls suggesting that food abundance and availability differed at both spatial scales. A significant positive correlation was observed between a morphological condition index and the prey diversity in the gut. This suggests that fish which specialize on a limited number of prey items (perhaps due to a greater abundance of certain prey) may do better than fish which feed on a wide range of prey types. Significant differences in condition were observed between hauls and between beaches, while recent and total otolith growth varied between beaches but not between hauls. The results highlight the importance of considering small scale variation when attempting to link habitat quality to feeding, growth and condition of juvenile flatfish.

Revealed By Fire, One Woman's Narrative of Transformation

On the morning of June 23, 1985, Flight 182, en route from Toronto to Bombay, India disappeared from all radar screens and subsequently was lost to a mid-air explosion over the Atlantic Ocean, 100 miles from the southwest coast of Ireland. It was the largest aviation disaster in Canada’s history. Of the 329 passengers aboard the flight, 156 were Canadian, three of whom were Canadian choreographer Lata Pada’s husband and two daughters. This essay is an account of Pada’s artistic process in the creation of Revealed By Fire, a bharatanatyam performance choreographed by Pada for her dance company Sampradaya Dance Creations. Set in a theatrical interface between Pada’s present and the dream-like life of her past prior to the crash, Revealed evokes the darkness and destruction that followed on the heels of this event, as well as her tumultuous journey of self-discovery in the process of the dance’s making.

Marine spatial planning from the perspective of a small seaside community in Ireland

Abstract Marine spatial planning (MSP) is advocated as a means of managing human uses of the sea in a manner that is consistent with the maintenance of the ecological goods and services of the marine environment. Support for the process is evident at international and national levels but the degree to which it is acceptable to local level stakeholders is not clear. An Daingean (formely Dingle) is a small sea-oriented town situated on the southwest coast of Ireland in which marine-based tourism and other relatively new uses of the sea are pursued along side traditional fishing activities. Stakeholders in An Daingean are found to be positively disposed to a local process of MSP that incorporates meaningful local involvement.

Leatherback turtles satellite-tagged in European waters

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 4:23-31 (2008) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00076 Leatherback turtles satellite-tagged in European waters Thomas K. Doyle1,*, Jonathan D. R. Houghton2, Pádraig Frank O’Súilleabháin3, Victoria J. Hobson2, Ferdia Marnell4, John Davenport5, Graeme C. Hays2 1Coastal & Marine Resources Centre, University College Cork, Glucksman Marine Facility, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cobh, Cork, Ireland 2Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Department of Biological Sciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK 3Salmon Fisherman’s Association, Baile Na nGall, Dingle (Daingean Uí Chúis), Ireland 4National Parks and Wildlife Service, of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 7 Ely Place, Dublin 2, Ireland 5Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall Cork, Ireland *Email: t.doyle@ucc.ie ABSTRACT: The North Atlantic is considered a stronghold for the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle. However, limited information exists regarding the movements of individuals to and from the seas off Europe’s northwesterly fringe, an area where leatherbacks have been historically sighted for the past 200 yr. Here, we used satellite telemetry to record the movements and behaviour of 2 individuals bycaught in fisheries off the southwest coast of Ireland. The turtle T1 (tagged 1 September 2005; female; tracked 375 d) immediately travelled south via Madeira and the Canaries, before residing in West African waters for 3 mo. In spring, T1 migrated north towards Newfoundland where transmissions ceased. T2 (29 June 2006; male; 233 d) travelled south for a short period before spending 66 d west of the Bay of Biscay, an area previously asserted as a high-use area for leatherbacks. This prolonged high latitude summer residence corresponded with a mesoscale feature evident from satellite imagery, with the implication that this turtle had found a rich feeding site. A marked change in dive behaviour was apparent as the turtle exited this feature and provided useful insights on leatherback diving behaviour. T2 headed south in October 2006, and performed the deepest-ever dive recorded by a reptile (1280 m) southwest of Cape Verde. Unlike T1, T2 swam southwest towards Brazil before approaching the major nesting beaches of French Guiana and Surinam. Importantly, these tracks document the movement of leatherbacks from one of the remotest foraging grounds in the North Atlantic. KEY WORDS: Dermochelys · Summer residence · Northeast Atlantic · Ireland · High-use area · Abundance · Male · Deepest dive Full text in pdf format Supplementary appendix PreviousNextCite this article as: Doyle TK, Houghton JD, O’Súilleabháin PF, Hobson VJ, Marnell F, Davenport J, Hays GC (2008) Leatherback turtles satellite-tagged in European waters. Endang Species Res 4:23-31. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00076Export citation Mail this link - Contents Mailing Lists - RSS Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 4, No. 1-2. Online publication date: January 18, 2008 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2008 Inter-Research.

Histological investigation of the reproductive cycles of the limpets Patella vulgata and Patella ulyssiponensis

This study devised a staging system for, and monitored, the gonad development of the limpet species Patella vulgata and Patella ulyssiponensis on the South West coast of Ireland using histological techniques. Maturation began in the males of both species in January and in the females it began in March. There was no statistical difference in gonad development between sexes and between species. Spawning in the male P. vulgata occurred from September to December 2003 and in September and October 2004. In female P. vulgata spawning occurred from October to December 2003, no spawning of females was observed in 2004. In male P. ulyssiponensis spawning occurred in November and December 2003 and from September 2004 to December 2004. Spawning was observed from November 2003 to January 2004 and in September 2004 in female P. ulyssiponensis. Sex ratios also varied between the species and between months sampled. Nevertheless more males were observed in both species.

Discrimination of Alexandrium andersoni and A. minutum (Dinophyceae) using LSU rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes and fluorescent whole-cell hybridization

N. Touzet and R. Raine. 2007. Discrimination of Alexandrium andersoni and A. minutum (Dinophyceae) using LSU rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes and fluorescent whole-cell hybridization. Phycologia 46: 168–177. DOI: 10.2216/06-11.1Toxic marine dinoflagellates from the genus Alexandrium have been responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) throughout the world. Their monitoring relies on spatial and temporal sampling strategies and requires the reliable identification and enumeration of vegetative stages in order to enable the development of early warning policies. The accurate discrimination between Alexandrium species is labour intensive and requires taxonomic expertise as the genus contains morphologically similar toxic and non-toxic species. In Ireland, PSP outbreaks so far have been limited to Cork Harbour, a retentive inlet located on the south coast of the country, where the causative organism has been identified as A. minutum. Recently, the non-toxic and morphologically similar species A. andersoni has been detected on the south west coast of Ireland. In routine monitoring, Alexandrium spp. are identified on the basis of morphological features by conventional light microscopy, a method which does not allow their characterization at the species level. The development and application of large subunit (LSU) rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for the detection and quantification of A. minutum (Global clade) and A. andersoni by whole-cell fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is reported. The specificity and sensitivity of the two probe sets (MinA and AndA′ +C) were evaluated against Alexandrium species, including A. tamarense, A. tamutum and A. ostenfeldi, and a range of common dinoflagellates usually co-occurring with Alexandrium in Irish coastal waters. No cross-reactivity was observed with any of the strains tested or with phytoplankton species present in field samples rich in dinoflagellates. The format of the assay overcame possible matrix effects, such as probe adsorption, and allowed the reliable labelling of at least 1000 cells. Furthermore, the simultaneous use of calcofluor during the assays permitted the confirmation of the probe diagnostics by examining the general plate structure of the thecae of labelled cells.

Phylogeographic analysis of the red seaweed Palmaria palmata reveals a Pleistocene marine glacial refugium in the English Channel

Phylogeography has provided a new approach to the analysis of the postglacial history of a wide range of taxa but, to date, little is known about the effect of glacial periods on the marine biota of Europe. We have utilized a combination of nuclear, plastid and mitochondrial genetic markers to study the biogeographic history of the red seaweed Palmaria palmata in the North Atlantic. Analysis of the nuclear rDNA operon (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), the plastid 16S-trnI-trnA-23S-5S, rbcL-rbcS and rpl12-rps31-rpl9 regions and the mitochondrial cox2-3 spacer has revealed the existence of a previously unidentified marine refugium in the English Channel, along with possible secondary refugia off the southwest coast of Ireland and in northeast North America and/or Iceland. Coalescent and mismatch analyses date the expansion of European populations from approximately 128,000 BP and suggest a continued period of exponential growth since then. Consequently, we postulate that the penultimate (Saale) glacial maximum was the main event in shaping the biogeographic history of European P. palmata populations which persisted throughout the last (Weichselian) glacial maximum (c. 20,000 BP) in the Hurd Deep, an enigmatic trench in the English Channel.