Benthos Monitoring

The Marine Institute is responsible for the review and assessment of existing and proposed activities that may have an influence on the marine environment and advising on likely consequences particularly as they relate to licensing of activities on or near the seafloor.

The organisms living on and in the seafloor are a good indicator of stresses on the marine environment and therefore can act as an early warning system of change. These stresses can originate from natural and/or anthropogenic sources. Examples include: organic matter falling to the seafloor from aquaculture operations may increase oxygen demand in the vicinity and stress and impact organisms located therein. Surveys of the benthos using a variety of methods and devices have been used to:

1. assess natural or baseline conditions prior to the commencement of a development or activity,

2. determine the conservation status of an area or,

3. monitor sea bed health as part of coordinated sampling programs (e.g. WFD).

1. Water Framework Directive

Benthic macro-invertebrates is one of the biological quality elements for monitoring transitional and coastal waters under the WFD. A comprehensive benthic sampling programme is carried out in targeted water bodies, at least, twice every six year reporting period. The data is analysed using an index of invertebrate quality, known as the Infaunal Quality Index (IQI), which has been developed jointly by the UK and Ireland. The results are reported to the EPA to contribute to the national assessment, reported here.

UK and Ireland. The results are reported to the EPA to contribute to the national assessment, reported here.

2. Natura Assessment

Different marine communities have different responses to a variety of pressures. The Marine Institute’s work in this field is to carry out risk assessments of both aquaculture and fishery activities on habitats and species of particular conservation importance and provide advice to DAFM on licensing of these activities.

3. Finfish Aquaculture

Finfish farming (salmon and trout) is carried out along western seaboard of Ireland. These activities result in inputs to the marine environment in the form of wasted feed and faecal material. This organic matter falls to the seafloor and can result in stress on the benthos. Aquaculture operators are obliged to monitoring the benthic environment with a view to assessing the impacts. The Marine Institute reviews these reports to ensure that they comply with standard outlined in the Monitoring Protocols.

For further information contact:

email: Francis O'Beirn
Telephone: +353 (0)9 138 7250