SHERKIN COMMENT

Issue No. 50 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2010

Advances in Marking Birds for Bantry Bay’s First Lady of Botany Extracting Water from Lakes & Rivers Conserving Irish Plant Wealth Migration Studies John Akeroyd looks at the life & achievements & its effects on their Ecology Noleen Smyth on a new era of conservation Oscar Merne explains how technology has of Ellen Hutchins, an early 19th-century Ciaran O’Bryne & Ciara O’Leary look at the research at the National Botanic Gardens. 20 improved our knowledge of bird migration. 3 botanist. 13 ecological effects of meeting our water needs. 14

Centre pages: Exploring the Marine Environment

Photograph  Paul Kay:: Long clawed squat Lobster 2 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: Shifting the Focus ...... 2 Matt Murphy on the need to assess our priorities. Advances in Marking Birds for Migration Studies ....3 Oscar Merne explains how technology has improved our knowledge of bird migration. Shifting the Focus Ending with a Whimper ...... 4 Alex Kirby on the importance of biodiversity. next four years. Half of these the village and have an ecol- maximise the return from Greening the Built Environment ...... 5 By Matt Murphy will go in 2011. The cut in ogy trail. We all could learn a expensive infrastructure invest- funding will affect many lot from their efforts. ment, to get the most efficient The third installment from Walter Mugdan on THIS is the 50th issue of nature conservation projects Something has to change in use of limited land resources ways to reduce water consumption and pollution. Sherkin Comment. The great and also grant aid to small how we look at our natural her- and to help restore confidence joy for me has been having Wildwood Plan for Carrifran ...... 6 NGOs who do sterling work in itage. Over the past 20 to 30 by producing well located good such wonderful people con- John Walters explains how a group are re-creating protecting the countryside. years we saw many acres of quality developments. Exces- tributing articles. A number a fragment of woodland in Scotland. Here in Ireland we have only a wetlands destroyed, the disap- sive and unsustainable zoning have been with us from the few NGOs involved in conser- pearance of thousands upon of land has been a contributor What price trawling the seabed?...... 8 early days. Dr. Daphne Mould vation. The next few years thousands of miles of to the property bubble and its Lin Baldock & Paul Kay look at a destructive has been our longest contribu- could see some of them having hedgerows, as well as ringforts aftermath.” fishing method. tor since issue No. 2. She has major financial problems as and historical buildings lev- In recent times we have seen been followed closely by Improved Governance of Marine Fisheries Can the government cuts bite and elled - all without a whimper major flooding in towns and Recover Up to $50 Billion Annually ...... 9 Oscar Merne with his wonder- donations and membership from any quarter. People’s ful articles on birds. He has villages. Much of this is due to Kieran Kelleher explains why a new approach is dwindle. With less money to obsession with wanting to green fields and hedgerows been onboard from issue No. spend, people will be shifting make money meant nothing needed for world fisheries. 4. Michael Ludwig from Con- being destroyed, which previ- their focus. Maybe this is an was sacred and town and city ously acted as soakaways, but To the Edge of the Southern Ocean – Tasmania....10 necticut, USA, has kept us up opportunity for NGOs to put green areas were built on. Few have now become concrete Anthony Toole’s travels take him to the most to date since No. 8 with his jungles. Gardens, many of Southern part of Australia. articles on US marine matters. Tony Toole first began writing “The real success story of the volunteer which in the past had green A Quilt of Environmental Protection ...... 12 for issue No. 10 and has movement, which has achieved major people lawns are now concreted over Robert De Santo on the Structure of included many articles on sci- participation, is the annual Tidy Towns’ to park the family car (see rel- Environmental Law and Order in the USA. ence and on his travels. Other evant article on page 9). So competition.” much residential and commer- Bantry Bay’s First Lady of Botany...... 13 long timers have been Declan Quigley, Alex Kirby, John cial properties were built on John Akeroyd looks at the life and achievements of together programmes and enrol thought of saving green field Joyce and Gaisce, not to forget floodplains. Now we see that Ellen Hutchins, an early 19th-century botanist. volunteers to expand their areas for the children of today John Akeroyd, who has so work. Up to now they have and the future to play in. Local insurance companies are refus- Extracting Water from Lakes and Rivers and it effects often highlighted the wonder- somehow failed to expand authority councils in many ing to give flood cover. Added on their Ecology...... 14 ful flora of SW Ireland with their membership throughout cases were under pressure to to this in certain places subsi- Ciaran O’Bryne & Ciara O’Leary look at the his articles. He has also guided the country and become thor- grant planning permissions as dence cover is also being ecological effects of meeting our water needs. our young botanists over the oughly national organisations. if there was no tomorrow. If by refused. One must pose the past 22 years on his annual The real success story of the chance they refused, some question - do local authorities Exploring the Marine Environment ...... 15/16/17 visits to our station. To have volunteer movement, which politicians, developers and when they grant planning on a The photographer Paul Kay looks back on his these committed individuals, has achieved major people par- local business interests were flood plain have the legal career & tells of his love of marine wildlife. and many others, writing for ticipation, is the annual Tidy up in arms. Greed was the responsibility for the damage Groundwater - All shaken up by earthquakes! ...... 18 our paper over the years has Towns’ competition. It has order of the day. Let us hope at a later date if such properties been a wonderful privilege for are flooded and the individual Katie Tedd on what can be learnt from water brought such positive change that the few remaining green us at the Marine Station. I and has transformed many fields in urban areas will now had been refused insurance table monitoring in the southeast of Ireland. must mention one of our finest towns and villages. The enthu- be protected. cover? Similarly would the A Challenge for a Small Town ...... 19 volunteers to come to the Sta- siasm generated throughout the Throughout the Celtic Tiger same issue arise on property Dave Crestin tells about efforts to keep a town in tion, Paul Kay, who has been country is wonderful to see. In huge acreage of land was zoned built on certain area that are Cape Cod an environmentally sustainable resource. so generous in providing 2010 the Tidy Towns Competi- or rezoned for residential devel- prone to subsidence? many, many photographs for tion had 764 entries from opment. In July Minister of Let us remember that we are Conserving Irish Plant Wealth ...... 20 Sherkin Comment issues over towns and villages. If we had a State Ciaran Cuffe introduced only caretakers of this beauti- Noleen Smyth on a new era of conservation the years. Most importantly, similar number of groups new planning laws. In his intro- ful country. We must be research at the National Botanic Gardens. Sherkin Comment would not wanting to record and protect duction he stated: “While there diligent in the coming years The Northern Cousins ...... 21 have survived for 50 issues Ireland’s magnificent flora and are around 40,000 hectares of and remember what we have A trip to Iceland is remembered by Daphne Mould. without the wonderful support fauna heritage, then we would land currently zoned for resi- learnt from the insane building of our advertisers. see much less destruction of dential development across the boom of the Celtic Tiger. We Electric Rays in Irish & North-west European Waters ..22 Sherkin Comment has a our natural heritage. country, the actual needs, even must ensure that all of us get Declan Quigley looks at a small order of rays. readership of over 70,000 peo- Tallanstown, a village in allowing for generous head pride, pleasure and emotional The Burrenbeo Trust ...... 23 ple, which is wonderful for an Co. Louth, won the 2010 room, over the next six years is sustenance from the beauty of Brigid Barry explains the work of the Trust. environmental newspaper. My National Tidy Towns competi- for about 12,000 hectares.” In our natural environment – even role as editor is to have arti- tion. They first entered the other words the country has an Publications of Interest...... 24 after 39 years on Sherkin cles, which are interesting and competition over 26 years ago excess of 28,000 hectares of Island, the sight of the sun set- Is Short-term Monitoring Sufficient? ...... 25 educational. I passionately and in their first year came surplus resident land. Much of A paper presented by the late Prof. Tony Fogg is as ting over the Mizen Peninsula believe education is the way 713th in the competition. this land was bought by devel- and nearby Mount Gabriel is a relevant today as it was in 2003. forward in environmental care Within a decade they earned opers at astronomical prices and sight to behold We must pro- the distinction of being now only has agricultural value. Captain Cockle ...... 26 and that is why I try to bring a tect our natural environment balance with articles from County Louth’s Tidiest vil- The Chairman of An Bord More exciting facts from John Joyce. because it is irreplaceable. It is abroad, as well as from here in lage. This title has been Pleanala in his 2008 report did hoped the new planning laws Making Bird Feeders & An Eye For Colour ...... 27 Ireland. retained ever since. Other not mince his words when will go a long way to bringing BirdWatch Ireland asks us to be creative! There is a huge mountain to awards have followed, culmi- commenting on the short- about the necessary protection; climb now because with the nating in the ultimate prize in sightedness to relax good Geological Map of Ireland ...... 28 if not, then the future is very demise of the Celtic Tiger the National Tidy Towns’ planning standards: Discover the rocks in your locality. bleak indeed for Ireland’s most funding for environmental competition this year. Go to “we need to embrace the precious heritage. Water Conservation Worksheet...... 29 projects will be caught in the www.tallanstown.com and see principles of good planning 25-Year Celebrations of Gaisce the President’s Award ..30 massive cutbacks. Ireland is the impress photographs of the and sustainable development in Colour Me - Compass Jellyfish ...... 31 not alone. In the UK Natural village. Recently the commit- order to prevent further deteri- Matt Murphy, Sherkin Island Mississippi River Invasive Species ...... 32 England is set to shed 800 jobs tee completed a Wildlife oration of our environment, to Marine Station, Sherkin out of a staff of 2500 over the Action Plan/Ecology study for respond to climate change, to Island, Co. Cork. Michael Ludwig on how Asian carp are taking over some rivers in the US. For Sherkin Comment subscription details go to page 24 SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______3 Advances in Marking Birds for Migration Studies By Oscar Merne

LAST year we celebrated the 100th anniver- sary of bird ringing in Britain and Ireland. The ringing scheme involved marking large num- bers of birds (c.800,000 per annum in recent times) with individually numbered metal leg rings, and waiting for a small proportion of them to be reported back from various loca-

tions, from local sites and from as far away as et al Africa and South America. Each report was akin to a piece of a jigsaw, and when we had Courtesy of Oscar Merne enough pieces the general picture of migratory Turnstones, Bray Harbour, Co Wicklow. flyways, staging areas and destinations began to emerge. However, for some research and conservation purposes the general picture was not entirely adequate, so ornithologists began to explore ways of refining our knowledge of the great seasonal migrations of many of our breeding and wintering bird species.

The use of field-readable colour rings, leg / Minton, C. Courtesy of www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-57.pdf flags, and patagial tags, removed the necessity Migration route recorded by geolocator for Ruddy Turnstone with leg flag 9Y.This bird departed Flinders of recapturing ringed birds or of depending on (Victoria, Australia) 27 April, 2009 and returned 8 December, 2009, after a journey of 27,000kms. reports of birds found dead. Multiple sightings of marked birds alive in the field enabled us to Courtesy of Oscar Merne fill in many of the gaps in our knowledge of Bar-tailed Godwit movements between the time and place of ring- ing and time and place of death or recapture. In Ireland these marking techniques have been used to good effect over the last 25-30 years on birds such as Cormorants, Whooper Swans, Greenland White-fronted Geese, Light-bellied Brent Geese, Hen Harriers, Mediterranean Gulls, etc. et al Metal rings and various colour marks are fairly “low-tech” methods for studying bird migration, but with the Russian launch of Sput- Courtesy of Cian Merne nik in October 1957 the satellite age arrived. As Ringed Brent Geese a teenager, watching this first satellite pass over my garden on a winter’s night, I never thought flown non-stop to Taiwan, a distance of 7,600 of the potential for tracking migratory birds. km, in six days. On the return journey, one bird However, as more and more satellites were put stopped briefly in the Aleutian Islands into orbit, and satellite navigation and GPS (Alaska), then made a non-stop four-day flight were developed, it did not take very long for of 6,200 km to the Gilbert Islands (western ornithologists to realise that large birds could / Minton, C. Courtesy of www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-57.pdf central Pacific), where it made a prolonged be fitted with transmitters that would send sig- Migration route recorded by geolocator for Ruddy Turnstone with leg flag ANB. stop-over. It continued its southerly journey on nals up to the satellites, to be relayed back to 29th November, arrived four days later et al Earth and decoded to plot the migratory flight et al 5,000 km further on in eastern Australia, and path of the birds. The first generation transmit- was back at Flinders on 8th December. How ters were relatively large and heavy (>60 g) and birds achieve this from a physiological and were powered by lithium batteries with limited navigational perspective is another story! life expectancy. Therefore they could be used Clearly, geolocators have enormous poten- only in short-term studies on big strong birds tial for future migration studies. They are tiny such as eagles, storks, swans and cranes. How- and weigh only 1 g and can be fitted to a wide ever, in time, a switch to solar power and range of the smaller migratory bird species. miniaturisation of the hardware brought the Furthermore, they are considerably less expen- weight down to 12 g or less and made it possi- sive than satellite transmitters (currently ble to fit satellite transmitters onto medium c.€25-30, compared with >€2,500 for satellite Courtesy of www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-57.pdf / Minton, C. Courtesy of www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-57.pdf sized migratory birds. / Minton, C. Courtesy of www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-57.pdf telemetry). The important thing is to have a With the continuing reduction in size and Ruddy Turnstone 9Y photographed in Taiwan on 11 May 2009 after departing Flinders (Victoria, Australia) high probability of recapturing the marked weight it became possible to fit 16 Bar-tailed on 27 April (photo: Huang Ming-Tang). Right: Closeup of geolocator with leg flag attached. birds to retrieve the data from the geolocators, Godwits (a known long-distance migrant) with though sooner or later it would not surprise me small, light satellite transmitters at a non- on the Wexford Slobs in winter were tracked to came the equally exciting discovery that much if technological ingenuity enabled data to be breeding site on South Island New Zealand in their breeding grounds on the tundra of western smaller waders could accomplish similarly downloaded remotely. March 2007. The godwits were found to be Greenland, highlighting the importance of extraordinary feats of long-distance migratory In the meantime, geolocators are being used using coastal estuaries in the Yellow Sea as a stop-over sites in southern and western Iceland, flights. This time light-sensitive geolocators in Ireland to track movements of Purple Sand- staging area before continuing to their breeding and the ability of the geese to cross over the were fitted to six Ruddy Turnstones (the same pipers between a major wintering site in Co. grounds on the tundra of eastern Siberia and formidable obstacle of the Greenland icecap. A species found commonly on Irish coasts out- Clare and breeding grounds in Iceland – or Alaska. Some transmitters continued to func- similar study was carried out on Light-bellied side the breeding season) at Flinders, Victoria, goodness knows where else! They are also tion through the northern autumn return Brent Geese, which also rest and feed in Ice- in south-east Australia in April 2009. The being used on colonial seabirds to establish journey to New Zealand, and, amazingly, one land before crossing the Greenland icecap and geolocators, weighing just 1 g, accumulated their breeding season foraging ranges so that bird made the journey non-stop from Alaska to continuing on to their breeding grounds in the positional data until their batteries ran out, or, the boundaries of designated Special Protection New Zealand – a distance of 11,500 km in nine high arctic archipelago of northern Canada. in one case, the geolocator was damaged. Areas can be extended to cover important feed- days. It might have done it in one or two days This kind of information is invaluable for Remarkably, four of the six marked birds were ing zones. less were it not for its progress being impeded developing international strategies for the con- recaptured back at Flinders between October by strong head-winds in the South Pacific! servation of species throughout their range. 2009 and January 2010. When the accumulated Oscar Merne retired from Ireland’s National In Ireland, satellite telemetry has been used Following soon after the finding (by satellite data were retrieved they revealed that on the Parks & Wildlife Service in January 2004. to great effect on a number of species in recent telemetry) that Bar-tailed Godwits could fly migratory journey from Flinders to the breed- years. Greenland White-fronted Geese caught non-stop between Alaska and New Zealand ing grounds in Siberia the Turnstones had 4 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 and most clinically important pharmacopoeia of any genus in Nature.’ One of the authors wrote: ‘If we fail to protect the cone snails, the loss to future generations would be incalcula- ble.’ And we are failing. We owe biodiversity more than drugs alone. We rely on different species to oxygenate the atmosphere, purify drinking water, fix nitro- Ending with gen, recycle nutrients and waste and pollinate Ending with crops. A few years ago, when the global gross national product stood at about $18 trillion a year, US researchers estimated the value of the goods and services provided to the global econ- omy by the natural world – at $33 trillion. Professor E O Wilson, the Harvard biologist once called ‘the true heir of Darwin’, has said: ‘Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like a Whimper burning a Renaissance painting to cook a a Whimper meal.’ He expanded that idea on another occa- sion: ‘The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction on Earth”, has not been met.’ Research Institute, says forests and other natu- of natural habitats. This is the folly our descen- By Alex Kirby The report does not make for more cheerful ral settings can reduce stress, improve moods, dants are least likely to forgive us.’ reading as you press on. Findings include: reduce anger and aggression and increase over- IT’S a fair guess that if you asked ten people We are not here to exploit Nature, nor even • Nearly a quarter of plant species are all happiness. Forest visits, she says, may on the streets of any Irish (or British, or US) to be its stewards (remember James Lovelock’s estimated to be threatened with extinction. strengthen our immune systems by increasing city to name the world’s top environment prob- The abundance of vertebrate species… fell comment that ‘humans are as qualified to be lem, nine would tell you it was climate change. the activity and number of natural killer cells by nearly a third on average between 1970 stewards as goats are to be gardeners’?). The They’d be profoundly wrong – not because cli- that destroy cancer cells. and 2006, and continues to fall globally, only way we shall survive is by accepting that mate change doesn’t matter (it does, more than And there are the cone snails, about 500 with especially severe declines in the we are part of the natural world. A group of most of us acknowledge), but because it is sim- species all told. Each has its own set of toxins, tropics and among freshwater species… entrepreneurs set up a plantation of Brazil nut ply the best-known of all the converging some of which are thought promising for treat- • Crop and livestock genetic diversity trees, intending to gather a lucrative crop with- environmental crises. Professor John Bedding- ing epilepsy, some forms of lung cancer, continues to decline in agricultural systems. ton, the UK Government’s chief scientific clinical depression, heart irregularities and out having to trudge through the forest to the • The five principal pressures directly driving adviser, has written of what he thinks is now incontinence. One toxin may be a thousand individual trees. The trouble was that the trees biodiversity loss (habitat change, overex- just two decades away, the time when a “per- times more potent than morphine for treating remained barren: they could bear fruit only as ploitation, pollution, invasive alien species fect storm” of food shortages, scarce water and pain. But millions of the snails are now killed part of the forest community. We can learn and climate change) are either constant or insufficient energy resources threatens to from the nuts. increasing in intensity. annually for their shells, which are used to unleash public unrest, cross-border conflicts • The ecological footprint of humanity make jewellry, and their habitats are under and mass migration (Guardian, 18 March Alex Kirby is a former BBC environment exceeds the biological capacity of the Earth pressure. An article in the journal Science said: 2009). He could have added impoverished soil, ‘Tropical cone snails may contain the largest correspondent. growing pollution, and a rising global popula- by a wider margin than at the time the 2010 tion. And he could also have mentioned one of target was agreed. the quietest and least-noticed crises of them all: The executive summary ends with this warn- the accelerating rush to extinction of so many ing: ‘The action taken over the next decade or of the world’s species. two, and the direction charted under the Con- Few people, I’d guess, know that scientists vention on Biological Diversity, will determine believe species are becoming extinct between a whether the relatively stable environmental con- hundred and a thousand times faster than the ditions on which human civilization has natural rate. Few will know why that matters – depended for the past 10,000 years will continue not just to the species themselves, but also to beyond this century. If we fail to use this oppor- us. I wonder how many know that the UN has tunity, many ecosystems on the planet will move a specialised agency devoted to conserving into new, unprecedented states in which the other species, and could name it – the Conven- capacity to provide for the needs of present and tion on Biological Diversity (CBD). future generations is highly uncertain.’ Biodiversity is not a word that trips naturally Ireland? Only 10% is forested, the coasts are off the tongue, and I wish we could talk instead overexploited and polluted, and hedges are about wildlife or something else just as scien- vanishing as land is cleared. tifically imprecise but vastly more intelligible In the UK the Joint Nature Conservation and evocative to most of us. Beyond that Committee produces Biodiversity in Your there’s the Convention. The CBD, even by the Pocket. Its 2010 update assessed 33 conserva- standards of the UN, is a secret so well-kept tion indicators and found that over the long that it seldom registers at all with most people. term 27% showed some improvement, 30% Whether it does good, bad or nothing at all, it revealed deterioration and 6% no or little does it by profound stealth. And that is a pity, change. For the remaining 37% there was not because the threat it exists to avert is as serious enough data to make a judgement. This echoes as climate change itself. When it does lift its the experience of the Sherkin Island head above the parapet, the CBD makes some researchers, that reliable data collected over trenchant points. In May 2010 it launched the many years are gold dust for those who want to third edition of its Global Biodiversity Out- know what’s coming. look. Its message was dire: ‘The target agreed Does all this matter to us? Yes. It’s not just by the world’s Governments in 2002, “to the prospect of the disappearance from the wild achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the of the charismatic megafauna, the prospect that current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, our children may never see a lion or an ele- regional and national level as a contribution to phant outside a zoo. Even trees are therapeutic. poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest

We need your support Subscribe to Sherkin Comment See page 24 for details. SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______5 Greening the Built Environment The Third in a Series of Articles

1 of the spectrum of green use, lengthening roof life by Stoughton, Massachusetts; ing appliances such as high By Walter Mugdan stormwater management tech- two to three times, noise and the Silvercup Film Studio efficiency toilets, water sav- niques is the green roof. A reduction, and neutralising the in New York City. ing faucets, and even IN the previous editions of green roof is just that — a damaging effects of acid rain. Less well known is the con- landscape irrigation systems, Sherkin Comment I wrote waterproof building roof that They are also aesthetically cept of a “blue” roof. This is are certified and now bear the about the evolving “green is used as an area for planting pleasing and even provide one that is designed and engi- WaterSense label. These construction” movement, grasses, flowers, shrubs and habitat for birds and butter- neered to retain a large volume appliances must use at least which seeks ways to make our even trees. Many commercial flies. A growing number of of water on the roof during the 20% less water than standard “built environment” more buildings have flat roofs that buildings around the U.S. and rain event (like a bathtub), and models, while also demon- eco-friendly and sustainable. are suitable for installation of the world now feature green then let it out slowly after the strating that they perform as The first installment focused green roofs, which can dra- roofs, including one of EPA’s rain has ended. well as or better than the stan- our developed areas. Large on the ways in which archi- matically reduce stormwater own offices (in Denver, Col- Stormwater can be captured dard models. Like a number amounts of landscaping waste tects and engineers are runoff. They have a range of orado); the Chicago, Illinois on site – in a blue roof, a large of other EPA voluntary pro- finds its way into U.S. land- working to reduce the “carbon other benefits, including sig- and Atlanta, Georgia City Hall underground tank, or in a sur- grams, this one solicits fills. And, of course, footprint” — the total green- nificant reductions in energy buildings; an Ikea store in face impoundment – and can entities to become WaterSense maintaining landscaping typi- house gas (GHG) emissions then be reused on site for partners who will make com- cally involves use of water for associated with a building landscape irrigation, toilet mitments to use labeled irrigation, and the use of fertil- throughout its life. The sec- flushing or other non-drinking products. Partners can izers and pesticides, too much ond article focused on ways in uses. For example, the Des- include corporations, munici- of which ends up in our which traditional air pollu- tiny Mall, an enormous palities, utilities, water groundwater and surface tants associated with shopping centre under con- districts, trade associations water. EPA’s Greenscapes construction can be min- struction in Syracuse, New and irrigation professionals, Program offers information imised. This article looks at York, is installing a 90,000 as well as appliance manufac- for both large-scale commer- ways to reduce water con- gallon underground tank to turers and professional cial landscapers and sumption and pollution. capture stormwater. The certifying organisations. small-scale residential owners Stormwater runoff can be a water will be filtered and then Reducing water use makes on how to reduce the environ- significant source of water reused to flush toilets, reduc- sense in many ways. Water mental impact of their pollution, carrying large loads ing by over 50% the facility’s resource demand and scarcity landscaping activities. Green- of sediment from construction demand for water from the are increasing around the scaping can save money at the sites; oil, grease and litter local utility and the volume of country, and so conservation same time it helps reduce from pavements; and excess water sent to the local waste- is a compelling objective. In water pollution, solid wastes fertilizer and pesticides from water treatment plant. addition, drinking water and and GHG emissions. landscaped or agricultural Launched by EPA in 2006, wastewater utilities account In the next installment: recy- areas. Stormwater runoff also WaterSense is the water effi- for 3% of total electricity cling and re-using materials. reduces the recharge of pre- 1 ciency analog to the Energy consumption in the U.S., the Any opinions expressed in this arti- cious groundwater, hastening Star program. Water-conserv- vast majority of which is gen- cle are the author’s own, and do not the depletion of aquifers. erated using fossil fuels. Any necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Stormwater runoff can be sig- reduction in water use there- nificantly reduced by fore translates quite directly maximising the amount of into a reduction in energy use, Walter Mugdan,Director, water that is permitted to seep and thus translates further into Emergency & Remedial into the ground at or near a reduction in greenhouse Response Division, U.S. where the rain falls. This can gases emitted. Environmental Protection be accomplished through a Landscaping presents Agency, Region 2, New York wide range of site design fea- another opportunity to green City. March, 2010 tures, referred to collectively as “Low Impact Design” or From top (clockwise): Biotension cells/swales in an Ikea carpark; LID. For instance, permeable Basins and cells provide multiple points at which water can percolate in the ground; Permeable pavement in a carpark, helping to reduce or porous pavements can be runoff; Roof water collection. A high efficiency toilet – one of the used on parking lots and site water-conserving appliances that are certified and bear the roadways in place of tradi- WaterSense label; Planted roofs are not only aesthetically pleasing tional, impermeable pavement but can dramatically reduce stormwater runoff. Comparing the materials such as continuous porous and standard asphalt. concrete or asphalt. Perme- able pavement dramatically reduces runoff, and though it is somewhat more expensive than traditional pavement, it can offset or eliminate other stormwater management and facility maintenance costs. Swales and bio-retention basins or cells can be incorpo- rated into parking lot and roadway designs. Swales help conduct stormwater across an area while allowing seepage to occur in transit. Basins and cells provide multiple points at which water can percolate into the ground on site instead of moving across the ground and off site. Both swales and basins can significantly enhance the appearance of outdoor areas. At the more elaborate end 6 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50

THIS may look like a natural landscape – but it’s Carrifran glen, carved by ice in the Volunteer planting trees not. These hills would once have been covered heart of the Moffat Hills. by Firthhope Linn. with a rich tapestry of native woodland. So, for the past 15 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has been trying to turn the clock back. Photos courtesy of Philip Ashmole Photos courtesy of Philip

Wildwood Plan for Carrifran

Carrifran is a magnificent The friends who started the of those who came to know tributed their time and enthu- They have a complete pollen By John Walters ice-carved valley in the South- project came together as a about it.” siasm to not only plant trees, record taken from a peat bog ern Uplands between Moffat Wildwood Group in 1995, and but also bash bracken, repair on the site and they’re familiar IN 1993 a group of friends and Peebles. It covers more also helped to form the Bor- paths, remove unnecessary with the conditions that each came up with the idea of re- than 6 sq km (2.3 sq miles), ders Forest Trust (BFT). The Planting begins fences and generally clear up. species prefers. Moreover, they creating a fragment of the rises to over 800 metres trust is an environmental char- On Millennium Day, 1 Jan- The rest of the tree planting gathered and grew thousands wildwood that originally cov- (2,625 feet) and takes several ity that seeks to conserve, uary 2000, about 100 has been down to contractors of seeds and cuttings from the ered the hills of southern hours to walk round. Like restore and manage native volunteers celebrated the pur- who come back to work at Southern Uplands, so they Scotland. much of upland Britain, it has woodlands for the benefit of chase of Carrifran by planting Carrifran year after year, and knew the trees being used were They spent years searching lost its natural woodland people and wildlife. the first trees. A complete plan are therefore a vital part of the adapted to the local climate. for the right place, planning cover, along with many of the “We were all sure that we for restoring the site had Wildwood project. Both con- Visitors to Carrifran and the project and negotiating wild creatures that depended should think big,” explained already been developed, and tractors and volunteers are those who drive past now can over costs, before finally buy- on it. That loss came about Philip Ashmole, one of the funding and advice from Scot- prepared to work high up in readily see the developing ing the dramatic hills around through a long history of founding members of the tish National Heritage (SNH) the hills through the winter, woodland near the mouth of Carrifran in the northeast of felling, burning and grazing Wildwood Group, “so we set allowed the steering group to probably meeting tougher the glen, where some trees are Dumfries and Galloway in by sheep, cattle and goats. out to create a 6,000-year-old appoint a project officer to conditions than just about any about five metres (16 feet) 2000. And, remarkably, the The large range of altitude natural environment in a sin- take forward the work. other tree planters in Britain. high. It takes more careful £400,000 costs were met at Carrifran offers a chance to gle treeless valley. Since then, more than Decisions about which trees searching to spot the hundreds without the use of any public re-create a variety of wood- “We hoped this would pay 450,000 native trees and to plant can be made with con- of thousands of trees and funding – the money was land, including treeline back some of our dues to the shrubs have gone into the fidence because the Wildwood shrubs spread over the more raised entirely from like- habitats around 700 metres wild animals and plants that ground. About 10% of the Group have identified the tree remote parts of the site. minded supporters throughout (2,296 feet), which are rarely once lived there, as well as trees have been planted by species that grew in the origi- “We set up the Wildwood Britain and overseas. found in Britain today. make an impact on the minds volunteers, who have con- nal wildwood at Carrifran. project to show that, in a

Newly established woodland and unplanted flushed ground beside the Carrifran Burn. SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______7 Ideal Gifts for Christmas Photos courtesy of Philip Ashmole Photos courtesy of Philip

A Beginner’s Guide to Ireland’s Wild Flowers Have you ever wanted to put a name to the wild flowers you see about you every day, or while on a walk, or on holiday? With the help of this pocket-sized guide, you will be able to do just that. Beginners of all ages will be introduced to the many common wild flowers found around Ireland. Published by Sherkin Island Marine Station

Price: €7.50 plus €1.00 p&p ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-23-2 Softback: size 140mm x 100mm 208pp A Beginner’s Guide to Ireland’s Seashore A pocket-sized guide, suitable for beginners of all ages.With the help of this book you will be able to explore the wonders of marine life on the shores around Ireland. Published by Sherkin Island Marine Station

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Price: €7.00 plus €1.00 p&p ISBN-10: 1-870492-96-X ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-96-6 Start of planting at Carrifran on Softback: size 140mm x 100mm 208pp Millennium Day - with piper; Volunteers relaxing in the new woodland; Trees for spring The Natural History of Sherkin Island, West Cork - An Introduction planting 2008; Firth Hope planting. Courtesy of Hugh Chalmars Perhaps you haven’t been to Sherkin Island before, or maybe you’re coming back again, as many people do.This book will introduce you to some of the wonderful wildlife and world weighed down with flowers on this beautiful and peaceful island, which lies just 10 minutes by ferry across environmental problems, we the busy little harbour of Baltimore,West Cork. Published by Sherkin Island Marine Station don’t have to just sit back and Price: €4.95 plus €1.00 p&p ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-38-6 wring our hands,” added Softback: size 208 mm x 98 mm - 72 pp Philip. “We can take action and do something positive. Ireland’s Bird Life. A World of Beauty “This project proves that Ireland’s Bird Life - A World of Beauty contains photographs from the vast collection of people have the power to Richard Mills, who is recognised as one of Europe’s finest photographers. The book reverse environmental harm, contains 200 colour photographs from his vast collection which show the great talent and we hope it will inspire of a man who is a craftsman with his camera. Published by Sherkin Island Marine Station others to come up with even Price: €12.00 plus €1.00 p&p. ISBN-10: 1 870492 80 3 ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-80-5 Softback A4 160pp bolder schemes to restore iconic landmarks in the south areas that have been degraded of Scotland, taking the form Available from: Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Co Cork down the centuries.” of a cavernous hollow in the hills where the notorious Bor- Tel: 028-20187 Fax: 028-20407 [email protected] www.sherkinmarine.ie der Reivers once hid their Books can now be purchased using Paypal. New project stolen cattle. Given that over 95% of Corehead extends to within native woodlands have been three kilometres (1.8 miles) lost in the south of Scotland, from Carrifran, offering the BFT have also been looking possibility of making a con- for other opportunities to sup- nection. The surrounding hills port the public’s enthusiasm form the watershed between for restoring woodlands. the Tweed and Annan river And they’ve just announced systems, so there’s potential to that £700,000 has been raised create links across the hills to buy 640 hectares (1,580 and rivers. acres) of land at Corehead, north of Moffat, which lies just If you’d like to read more goes to support the project. To over the hills from Carrifran. about Carrifran, then why find out more about the book, The hills and valleys of Core- not buy a copy of the recently you can download a preview head were historically part of published book The and print off an order form the wild Ettrick Forest, and Carrifran Wildwood Story: at www.carrifran.org.uk or BFT plan to restore the heather ecological restoration from buy online at www.borders- moorland and native wood- the grass roots, which was foresttrust.org land that once thrived there. Salmon, Trout & Shellfish The famous Devil’s Beef also supported by Scottish (Article reprinted with permission Tub also forms part of Core- Natural Heritage. All the from “The Nature of Scotland” Winter 2009 - www.snh.gov.uk) Marine & Freshwater head. This is one of the most money raised through sales North, South, East & West

Delivering results for Aqua-Business

For more information contact: IFA Aquaculture Section, Irish Farmers’ Association, Bluebell, Dublin 12 ph: 01-4500266 fax: 01-4551043 e-mail [email protected] 8 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 What price trawling the seabed?

grow annual plants. Once a edges indicating physical By Lin Baldock month and it is unlikely that damage from trawls which are & Paul Kay you would be able to produce clearly impacting on the scal- a crop of anything, even let- lops but not catching them. THIS article is written from tuces and radish! There is also an increase in the perspective of divers with Seabeds which appears flat the siltyness of the area with a extensive underwater survey on the sounder will actually dusting of mud and fine sand experience in Britain and Ire- consist of a range of sizes of over all surfaces. The tragedy land. We are familiar with the pebbles, cobbles and boulders. is that this crude fishing Photograph © Mike Markey sites concerned over a long This underwater ‘landscape’ method, especially in these Undamaged marine life in Lyme Bay, Dorset with large seafans, upright branching sponges and ross coral time period (over 25 years in provides a diversity of micro- boulder reef habitats, is at best bryozoan. some cases). Inevitably fish- habitats for varied 10% effective. For each tow ermen earning their living by communities of marine more scallops are damaged trawling will have a very dif- species from sponges to juve- and killed on the seabed than ferent view on the perceived nile fish. Importantly, these are caught in the dredge. In sustainability and impact of communities have a three- Lyme Bay the tidal currents this type of fishing. dimensional structure which accumulate the broken frag- Trawling for bottom living include upright colonies of ments of marine life at the fish or dredging for scallops seafirs, seafans, sponges, sea base of the rocky reefs where squirts, and other creatures. they wash around for a long involves towing heavy fishing Photograph © Paul Kay Trawling rearranges these time. Recent survey work on gear across the seabed. One A dead shell of the king scallop type of trawl is a funnel- pebbles, cobbles and boulders shores at the eastern limit of showing badly damaged shell shaped net which is towed and destroys the community Lyme Bay has shown that margin. structure. Often the smaller these fragments are eventually across the seabed. The mouth rocks are removed, leaving a thrown up onto the beach of the net is held open by a flat, essentially two-dimen- where recently dead seafans, pair of otter boards, each sional habitat. dead mens’ fingers, branching weighing up to 100kg, with a

There are striking examples sponges, seafirs and Parch- Photograph © Mike Markey tickler chain running from one of this damage off the Dorset ment worm tubes can be Uprooted parchment worm tubes, branching and massive sponges, board to the other. These coast where anything larger found sometimes in large deadmens’ fingers and branching bryozoans near a rocky reef in boards are hauled along the Lyme Bay, Dorset. than an apple has been numbers on the strandline. seabed and the chain strung

scraped away. Constantly This indicates that the trawls Photograph © Lin Baldock between them is intended to working the seabed also pro- are causing substantial dam- force fish up off the seabed Shell of a five year old king duces more mobile, less age to both their target catch scallop showing shell margin and into the net behind where stable, less cohesive sedi- and to numerous other damage which took place in they are trapped. Scallop ments and the original habitat species. 2008 prior to the closure, dredges are typically 1.5m followed by two further years of is destroyed. Fine sediment is So how long does it take for across with a mesh of chain in growth. also released into the water the seabed to recover once bot- the belly and with back net- ever, with the decline in shell- column causing wide spread tom trawling/dredging is fish stocks and increasing ting to hold the scallop catch. problems with siltation. There stopped? Monitoring in Lyme vessel running costs, the Powerful boats can tow five is some difficulty in quantify- Bay suggests that the recovery actual value of scalloping to such dredges each side cover- ing this destruction to the of the three-dimensional struc- local economies may not com- ing an 8m swath across the satisfaction of statisticians ture will be very slow indeed, pare favourably with income seabed. On scallop dredges, a given the great variability of even if a full recovery does take derived from activities such as bar on the leading edge of the natural communities. How- place, which is by no means a angling and diving. dredge has 15cm long ‘teeth’ ever, the damage is clearly certainty. Many of the species

How can such fisheries be Photograph © Lin Baldock which dig into the sediment evident to an experienced typical of the original commu- best managed to continue to Colonies of deadmens’ fingers on the strandline of the shore of Lyme forcing the scallops, which diver visiting the site. Whilst nities are still present, but only provide employment long into Bay, Dorset. usually lie flush with the the species in an area may as small, isolated individuals or the future and harvest a luxury seabed surface, into the net. remain largely the same, it is thumbnail sized colonies a few food enjoyed by many? Bot- With modern electronic significant that the STRUC- millimetres high. The dense tom trawling can be continued navigation equipment and TURE of the community has mats of sea squirts, huge ross on less uneven ground, though highly accurate bathymetric been destroyed. coral colonies up to 50cm this fishing method will radi- charts skilled skippers can In Lyme Bay off the Dorset across, tall, graceful branching cally change any type of work right up to the edge of coast of England an area of sponges 30cm high, thick seabed. Areas can be closed rocky reefs and other obstruc- seabed was closed to mobile bunches of seafirs with their tions, such as wrecks. With to certain methods of fishing gear in July 2008. Since then complex associated communi- and penalties for infringing historical trawl tracks saved static gear (pot/gillnet) fisher- ties of bryozoa, small on the navigator it is also pos- regulations should be mean- men have noticed an increase crustaceans and polychaete ingful in terms of the reward sible to cover 100% of the in the quantity of their worms providing food and gained by breaking the rules. seabed of an area. Powerful catches. These bouldery shelter for a variety of species In the UK, diver caught boats can now tow dredges seabed sites have been dived are still absent after three years. scallops are greatly preferred

over some low reefs, which in Photograph © Lin Baldock for many years and the It is difficult to pin down by chefs in high class restau- the past provided a refuge for destruction of the diverse ben- cause-and-effect to the satis- rants particularly where they Recently dead seafans tangled in discarded fishing line on the beach marine life. of Lyme Bay, Dorset. thic community is clearly faction of the authorities who are to be served in the shell. To visualise the impact of evident in areas repeatedly are loath to take the ‘precau- This is because dredged scal- instance. Often this comes at a collection of underwater towing this heavy gear trawled for king scallops tionary approach’ and restrict lops are often gritty from sand an additional financial cost, through fragile, three dimen- (Pecten maximus). Boulders or ban a particular activity images from the UK and forced into the shell so that are people prepared to pay this sional seabed communities, are turned over or repeatedly because of the impact this will Ireland. Paul Kay is a marine they take longer to prepare for premium price? imagine the effect of dragging wildlife photographer with rolled around and there are have on fishermen and their the table. Consumers could be the equivalent of an agricul- almost 30 years of experience often many gaping, still paired livelihood. Whilst this is per- more aware of the way the tural harrow through your Lin Baldock is interested in shells of recently killed scal- fectly understandable it may catch is taken and ask for and has a special interest in vegetable garden. Once a year the distribution of temperate lops. Many live scallops also never-the-less prove to be a diver-caught scallops for temperate fish. and you would only be able to have large chips on the shell short sighted approach. How- marine invertebrates and has SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______9 Improved Governance of Marine Fisheries Can Recover Up to $50 Billion Annually

ond, fleet overcapacity means that economic benefits. Second, rebuild- overfishing with incentives for Kelleher ([email protected]) By Kieran Kelleher the economic benefits of fishing are ing fish stocks would lead to responsible stewardship. It is not just of the Agriculture and Rural dissipated due to redundant invest- increased sustainable yields and about boats and fish. POOR fisheries management- Development Department, World ment and operating costs. lower fishing costs. The Sunken Billions was sup- Bank. AGR website: including overfishing and oversized Other factors also play a role. For At the same time, strengthened ported by PROFISH, a World Bank fleets-means that the annual eco- www.worldbank.org/fish. It example, the loss of fishery habitat, fishing rights can provide fishers and partnership focused on policy initia- nomic benefits from global marine originally appeared in pollution, rising sea temperatures, fishing communities with incentives tives for sustainable fisheries. fisheries are $50 billion less than and the increasing acidity of the to harvest responsibly and effi- www.worldbank.org/sunkenbillions “Environment Matters 2009” they could be. Over the last three oceans are placing additional stress ciently. Phasing out subsidies will (www.worldbank.org) and has been decades, the cumulative loss totals on already stressed ecosystems. Ille- improve efficiency. Greater trans- reprinted with permission. over $2.2 trillion. This article was prepared by Kieran gal fishing and unreported catches parency in the allocation of fish The Sunken Billions: The Eco- undermine fishery science, while resources and greater public account- nomic Justification for Fisheries subsidies continue to support unsus- ability for the health of fish stocks Reform, a report produced by the tainable fishing practices. will help private initiatives to certify World Bank and the Food and Agri- Growing pressures from climate sustainable fisheries. culture Organization of the United change further reinforce the argu- Reforms also will require invest- Nations (FAO), argues that well- ments for concerted national and ments in good governance, including managed marine fisheries could turn international actions to rebuild fish measures to reduce illegal fishing most of these losses into sustainable wealth, while the heavy carbon foot- and subsidies. In particular, subsidies

economic benefits for millions of Graphs courtesy of Environment Matters print of some fisheries adds to the for fuel and for investment in fishing fishers and coastal communities. justification for fisheries reform. vessels and fishing gear have con- Marine fishing operations are only This and previous studies high- part of the $400 billion global tributed to the decline in light the massive overcapacity in the catch-per-fisher and catch-per-ves- seafood industry, but economically global fishing fleet: the current catch healthy catch operations underpin sel. Over $10 billion in subsidies that could be achieved with roughly half directly impact fishing capacity and the sustainability of supply and prof- the current global fishing effort. itability of onshore activities, which foster overfishing were provided in These excess fleets competing for 2000. Close to 80 percent of the total are a major source of employment in limited fish resources result in stag- developing countries. For each per- global subsidy is provided by devel- nant productivity and economic oped countries. Regular public son working at sea, it is estimated inefficiency (see Figure 2). In that another three are employed in reporting on the state of national fish response to the decline in physical stocks and their contribution to processing, distribution, and other productivity, the global fleet has onshore activities. All told, such national wealth would also promote FIGURE 1 World population and global fish supply, 1970-2003 attempted to maintain profitability accountability and good governance. (Source: FAO FishStat Plus; World Bank 2006.) activities provide livelihoods for by reducing labour costs, lobbying over 200 million people; 90 percent Fisheries reform requires broad- for subsidies, and through increased based political will founded on a of these people are in developing investment in technology. countries and over half are women. social consensus. Social safety nets Right now, no one is winning. The and the creation of alternative liveli- real income levels of fishers are hoods can be an important element of The Economic Losses depressed, much of the industry is reform. These reforms can be inte- unprofitable, fish stocks are Increasingly over the last several grated with poverty reduction depleted, and other sectors of the decades, catching operations-the programs and other instruments of economy foot the bill for an ailing foundation of the industry-have economic and social development. fishing industry. become less economically efficient. The alternative to reform-business The bulk of economic losses occur in as usual-is a continued decline in two main ways. First, depleted fish Recovering the global fish wealth, increasingly inef- stocks-more than 75 percent of the ficient harvest operations, growing world's fish stocks are "underper- Sunken Billions poverty in fishery-dependent com- forming assets," according to The recovery of the "sunken bil- munities, increased risks of fishery FAO-mean that there are fewer fish lions" can take place through two stock collapses, and increasingly to catch, and therefore the cost of main approaches. First, a reduction compromised marine ecosystems. In FIGURE 2 Evolution of global fleet productivity (decked vessels) (Source: Authors' calculations; Garcia and Newton 1997; FAO FishStat Plus; FAO FIEP.) finding and catching them is greater in fishing effort would increase pro- short, sustainable fisheries require than it might be (see Figure 1). Sec- ductivity, profitability, and net political will to replace incentives for 10 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 To the Edge of the Southern Ocean By Anthony Toole

THIS was the last day of the year, but also the hottest. With the tem- perature touching 38°C, even the sea wind was warm on our faces, as Tasmania we bounced into it over the swell. Passing Tasman Island, we headed out toward the Southern Ocean. The next land was the Antarctic, 2500 miles away. We had left Hobart before 8 am, and travelled to Port Arthur to board the boat that was to take us on our trip to the edge of the continental shelf. Leaving the jetty, we headed out past a gap in the trees that afforded us a first glimpse of Aus- tralia’s most notorious penal colony. A short distance beyond this, our Tasman Island, which lies off the Tasman Peninsula on the south-east corner of Tasmania. boat slowed down, perhaps to allow us to show a measure of respect as we passed the Isle of the Dead, where more than 1100 convicts, a high proportion of them Irish, lay buried in unmarked graves. The Tasman Peninsula occupies the south-east corner of Tasmania. It is separated from the rest of the state by the Forestier Peninsula, which is itself constricted at both ends by narrow isthmuses. The nar- rower and more southerly of these,

Eaglehawk Neck, was guarded, The Isle of the Dead, where more than 1100 convicts (a high proportion of them during penal times, by ferocious Irish) lay buried in unmarked graves. dogs that made escape from Port Arthur virtually impossible. a variety of landforms and a spec- varieties of seal and leatherback Though there is farmland, much tacular coastal scenery, Earliest are turtles. And there is the seasonal the mudstone marine sediments of spectacle of humpback whales, of the peninsula is covered by nat- Australian fur seals,Tasman Island, with thick, tough fronds of bull kelp at the base ural vegetation, which supports the Permian era, dating back 250 migrating between the Antarctic of the rocks. million years. Then come the Trias- and the Great Barrier Reef. more than 500 plant species, many the cave. The wall at sea level was a the waves that must have lifted sic sandstones, and most recently We continued across the bay, of them rare elsewhere in Tasma- vivid pink, from the coralline algae them there on a higher tide. For a the volcanic, dolerite intrusions of into deeper water, green with phy- nia. Mammals include that was able to absorb the minimal short distance, the cliffs fell back, the Jurassic. toplankton. The eastern cliffs, pademelons, Bennett’s wallabies, sunlight that scattered into the dark- shrinking into the horizontally lay- Erosion by the sea has signifi- impressive from a distance, grew wombats, possums and even small est recesses. Clinging to the rocks at ered sediments of Triassic cantly reduced the heights of the even more so as we approached. numbers of Tasmanian devils and the cave mouth and along the base sandstone. Some sections had bro- sedimentary cliffs, while merely Tall columns of Jurassic dolerite, eastern quolls. Some 120 species of the cliffs, were thick, tough ken away from the cliffs and now smoothing off the sharp edges of they rose vertically from the sea to of bird have been recorded. fronds of bull kelp. Large jellyfish stood above the water as precari- the much harder igneous. In all crenellated summits. At their base We moved past a line of crum- pulsated in the water. ous-looking stacks. three regions, the rocks have been were a series of caves, which did bling cliffs of soft mudstones. We snaked around myriad rocky Then the dolerite again became undercut, in places, to leave not appear too large, until one of Cormorants perched on undercut coves, past mini-islands and penin- dominant, rising to the 320-metre- arches, caves and stacks. them swallowed another cruise ledges, while the high trees above sulas, populated by gulls, gannets high cliffs of Cape Pillar, the The seas around the peninsula boat, the twin of our own. held the nests of white-bellied sea and cormorants. New Zealand fur highest sea cliffs in Australia, and contain common and bottlenose When our turn came, we also eagles. seals basked on narrow platforms among the tallest in the southern dolphins, pilot whales, several drifted slowly into the darkness of Geological activity has resulted in above the kelp, well out of reach of hemisphere. We now headed out past Tasman Island, and away from land. The boat accelerated, and began to bounce violently over the waves. Each bang brought yells of excite- ment from the passengers, and a

Photos courtesy of Anthony Toole Anthony Photos courtesy of splash of spray that explained why, in spite of the heat, we had all been given waterproofs to wear on boarding the boat. We continued to where the con- tinental shelf dropped suddenly to a depth of 1000 metres. Ahead of us, a large flock of short-tailed shearwaters, perhaps more that a hundred strong, frenetically plun- dered the sea’s rich harvest, accompanied by a single, unhur- Permian mudstone cliffs, made from sediment dating back 250 million years. Permian mudstone cliffs, made from sediment dating back 250 million years. ried albatross. SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______11

Bull Kelp.

Zealand relatives. As we passed, returning to Hobart for the New they called out, either to their Year festivities. companions or in warning to us. Occasionally, one or two plunged Anthony Toole, 65, Cheswick Drive, into the sea, and after a few Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, moments of submersion, bobbed NE3 5DW, U.K. E. their heads up for a closer look at [email protected] our boat. Their companions W: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ seemed content to bark insults at anthonytoole Jurassic dolerite cliffs. us from the safety of their cliff- For a few moments, the sea in apprehensive at the previous buf- three of these normally solitary side retreats. the midst of the shearwater flock feting over the waves, became wanderers of the open ocean on We now headed back to Port appeared to toss and bubble. Then transfixed by the theatricals. After any previous occasion. Arthur. We had seen no whales, nor the spray transformed into a pod of several minutes, we swung off to We circled back toward Tasman even the penguins that frequent the dolphins, which came bounding the west. The dolphins, seeming to Island, its table-top summit sup- peninsula. Or perhaps they were toward us. They seemed to be as lose interest in us, went away to ported, like Cape Pillar and the there, but with so much else to excited as we were. While nearly investigate another boat. peninsula, by vertical dolerite draw our attention, we had simply everyone on board clicked away But the wonders were not fin- organ pipes. On the mainland side, missed them. With the birds, dol- with their cameras, the dolphins ished. Ahead of us, the flock of these were again broken into plat- phins and seals, and the swam alongside us, leapt into the shearwaters thinned, giving way to forms, from which the tossed-off magnificence of the sky-scraping air and rode the bow wave, as if around two dozen albatross, that crests of the highest waves cas- cliffs, we had more than sufficient knowing that we wanted them to circled calmly over the wave caded back into the sea. to remember about this trip. perform as dolphins are expected crests, with scarcely a wing beat. Packing these ledges were And as it was still early after- noon, we had time enough yet to to perform. Even the two or three Even our guides were amazed. herds of Australian fur seals, Huge caves have formed at the base of small children, who had been Neither had seen more than two or larger and noisier than their New explore the penal settlement before the dolerite cliffs. 12 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 A QUILT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The Structure of Environmental Law and Order in the United States of America By Robert S. De Santo, controls and objectives that no one 32 volumes of 40 CFR, first published plexity and lack of unity reflects its person, nor any cadre of agencies is in 1972. At that time, it contained a ineffectual practice in critical cir- Ph.D sufficiently empowered to integrate total of 450 pages. These 32 volumes cumstance and its lack of unity. and direct this ponderous structure of of regulations are applicable to, and Frustrating failures overshadow ENVIRONMENTAL protection in law and order. When emergency binding on, all federal government codification of environmental regula- the US is imperfect. Note the cata- environmental stewardship is called agencies that are now responsible to tions in the US. Those failures reveal strophic British Petroleum deep upon, as was the call to Admiral implement provisions of NEPA. the practical difficulty of legislating water oil drilling blowout disaster in Allen, it results from impromptu The 32 volumes are arranged in the changes in life style. That is, the US the Gulf of Mexico last April. US reactive, not proactive, plans made at following order of topics: General government continues to promulgate Government estimates of 800,000 the highest level of a confused (parts 1 – 29), Grants (parts 30 – 49), thousands of pages of regulations to gallons and other estimates of national government. Air (parts 50-97), Water (parts 104 – protect the environment and this effort 2,100,000 gallons of crude oil The initial charge for environmen- 149), Pesticides (parts 150 – 180), has earned a deserved reputation for gushed into the Gulf every day. A tal protection in the US is embodied Radiation (parts 180 – 197), Noise the country’s effort to put these words total of about five million barrels (i.e. in the National Environmental Policy (parts 201 – 211), Oceans (parts 220 into practice. Perhaps success will Pile of books – 40 CFR contains 23,305 210,000,000 US gallons) of oil were Act (NEPA)2, signed into law by – 239), Solid Waste (parts 240 – 302), come as a result of our forced dealing pages in 32 volumes that stack up to a height of 0.99 metre (i.e. 39 1/8 inches). released during the 106 days President Nixon in 1969. This law is Superfund (parts 303 – 305), Efflu- with climate change, and/or famine, between April and September, when the national charter by which rules ents (parts 407 – 471), Sludge (parts poverty, sickness, or war. These sive forces mustered to solve envi- the well was finally plugged. Inept, and regulations promulgated in com- 501 – 503), Energy (parts 600 – 610), afflictions of society are linked to the ronmental disasters must be lax, and ineffective regulations and pliance with NEPA are intended to Toxics (parts 700 – 1400), and the environment and to our stewardship integrated – orchestrated by a single oversight existed prior to the disaster. insure that environmental informa- Council on Environmental Quality of our planet – a home resistant to overarching authority. Successful Obviously, safety, control, correc- tion for projects that receive any (CEQ) (parts 1500 – 1700). destruction, but not indestructible. environmental stewardship that deals tion, cleanup, and mitigation all federal funding must be available to Starting in 1972 with 450 pages of Collectively, we are short sighted and with major disasters requires objec- failed, were inadequate, or were sim- public officials and citizens before text, 40 CFR has grown to 23,305 lack self-discipline and understanding tive caring for, and focusing on, the ply absent. It took months to create decisions are made and before pages in its July 1, 2009 edition. of our sustaining environment. whole fabric of the environment and and implement some level of over- actions are taken. Planning, science, Therefore, the average annual expan- The problem of there being no one our whole protective quilt of envi- sight that ultimately rested on an and government regulation are the sion of 40 CFR between 1972 and person or agency able to understand ronmental law and order. Such exceptional retired US Coast Guard three mainstays of the environmental 2009 is nearly 630 pages a year. The and integrate the objectives of a mas- oversight must be based on a unity of admiral to figure out, organize, and law of the US. So, why are there fail- resulting 2009 edition is nearly 53 sive and growing body of effort as its foremost goal. The big- apply a multifaceted response that ures in spite of this massive, detailed, fold larger than was 40 CFR when it environmental law, calls for creation ger the disaster, the less likely the may prove to be too little and was and multifaceted compendium of first appeared in 1972. Most juris- of an office of a “Czar of Environ- present US structure is to work with certainly too late. This one event sig- environmental laws and regulations? dictions of local, county or state, mental Protection.” Reaction to a unity of effort and purpose. nificantly disrupted and destroyed It is because the present structure of environmental statutes in the US are disaster is a last resort needed when untold environmental productivity, law and government in the US can directly or indirectly related to the proactive control of a country’s envi- Robert S. De Santo, Ph.D. livelihoods dependant on that pro- not deal efficiently with big and national government and its regula- ronmental protection has failed, as Founding Director, Institute of ductivity, and the ecological health immediate disasters. It does not dic- tions in 40 CFR. The growth of 40 was the case with the British Petro- Environmental Stewardship, and stability of significant pieces of tate a unity of effort to manage and CFR is depicted on the accompany- leum disaster. A Czar would function Waterford, Connecticut, USA. our “space ship earth1” in the Gulf of solve big environmental disasters. ing graph that shows the US has an to protect the integrity of the envi- Mexico. Yet, among world powers, NEPA is a law defined on 30 pages implicit concern for environmental ronment itself, not only to dictate 1Space ship earth, a concept first the US remains an acknowledged of Parts 1500 through 1508 of the protection shared by its people and actions during a disaster, but year expressed in 1879 by Henry George, the leader in environmental protection. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), their government regardless of party round. The present helter-skelter American writer and political economist, So, how can such a world power suf- Title 40 (Protection of Environment) affiliation. Forty CFR now reflects structure of the law can not be and adapted by Adali E. Stevenson, U.S. fer its biggest man made ecological – referred to as 40 CFR. Those 30 ambassador to the United Nations, in his the input of 37 years of different con- expected to overcome failure of last major speech, to the Economic and disaster in spite of its dedication to pages influence all local, country, and gresses under the administration of 5 spontaneously confused and compet- Social Council of the United Nations, environmental stewardship?The fun- state environmental laws in the coun- Republican and 2 Democratic Presi- itive fragmentation of the patch work Geneva, Switzerland, July 9, 1965. damental answer is that the structure try. The objectives, guidelines, and dents. The sheer volume of these of laws and disparate departments of 2http://www.mnrg.gov/meetings/2005cim- of environmental law and order in regulations of NEPA are contained in environmental laws reflects its government expected to save us from pacts/pdfs/CEQ.pdf the US is so convoluted a quilt of ever growing documents contained in importance to the country. Its com- environmental disasters. The mas-

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Is your company interested in advertising in Sherkin Comment?

Contact us at [email protected] for advertising rates.

www.sherkinmarine.ie SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______13 JOHN AKEROYD looks at the life and achievements of an early 19th-century botanist. ONE of the many pleasures BANTRY BAY’S of botany in West Cork is finding new and interesting plants. Another is to discover and track the work of others who’ve gone before: Philip First Lady of Botany O’Sullivan Beare, who lived on Dursey as a boy in the 1590s and later wrote The Natural History of Ireland, Charles Smith who visited West Cork in the 1750s, and the studies on Sherkin and Cape Clear by R.A. Philips in the 1890s–1900s and Oleg Polunin (who taught me at Butterwort school) in the 1940s. The most fascinating of all gashel near Ballylickey, was Ellen Hutchins, perhaps where he had an arboretum. the first woman botanist in Ire- She was buried in the grave- land. We know about her short yard of Bantry’s Church of life – she died just before her Ireland, where there is a 30th birthday – mainly from Bantry Bay, where Ellen Hutchins spent much of her short life studying the flora. memorial. Several species of her correspondence with Eng- tory Museum in London. alga, lichen and leafy liver- lish botanist Dawson Turner, a An enthusiast for books as wort carry the name banker in Yarmouth. Born on well as botany, Ellen’s letters hutchinsiae, as does Hutchin- St Patrick’s Day 1785, she reveal her familiarity with a sia petraea, a tiny annual lived in the family home at range of authors, including flowering plant of limestone Ballylickey, a lovely spot at Dante, Byron and the then poet rocks. This is now called Hor- the head of Bantry Bay, where and best-selling novelist Walter nungia petraea, but life was peaceful just a decade Scott. Homebound, she talks of Hutchinsia is the recognized after Wolfe Tone and the how “I like travel”. Had she English name! The arboretum French had anchored off Bere lived, no doubt she would have at Ardnagashel survives and in 1796. appreciated Charles Darwin’s its many fine trees, including Ellen’s father, a Justice of work – like him, she was born a Cork Oak planted by Arthur, the Peace, died when she was into wealth yet was active and are themselves a fitting tribute two. She was sent to Dublin to busy enough to be highly to a remarkable botanist. complete her schooling but regarded for her science. And fell ill. Her doctor, family Photos courtesy of Robbie Murphy like Darwin, she was con- Dr John Akeroyd, who has friend and moss enthusiast Ellen Hutchins made good use of a family yacht to visit nearby islands, such as Whiddy Island (above). cerned with social issues, in her studied the Irish flora for 30 Professor Whitley Stokes, case the poor of Bantry. years, edited The Wild tutored her in botany and rec- Flora of West Cork. plants. Her specimens were was also interested in mosses Evicted from the family Plants of Sherkin, Cape ommended she spend time Some of her records are used by top botanists, includ- and lichens, and with Hooker tantalizing, even plants not ing James Mackay in Dublin, wrote British Jungermanniae home by her oldest brother Clear and adjacent islands outdoors engaged in this Emanuel, she moved to Ban- healthy pursuit. Ellen’s symp- recorded in Ireland. I’ve long and in England William Bor- (1816), a treatise on leafy liv- of West Cork (1996) and is realized it’s foolish to dismiss rer, William Hooker and erworts that included Ellen’s don with her mother, who died author of A Beginner’s toms suggest chronic in 1814. Ellen herself died in abdominal infection, perhaps anything from a scientist this Dawson Turner himself. Her records. Her collections are Guide to Ireland’s Wild good, and we may yet find she cousin Thomas Taylor, a doc- now in the herbaria at Kew 1815 on the estate of another peritoneal tuberculosis – a brother, Arthur, at Ardna- Flowers (2008). problem before pasteurized was right! Other finds are tor who lived near Kenmare, Gardens and the Natural His- milk. One suspects too that familiar but significant: the medicinal mercury she coralline algae near Whiddy, took may have killed rather Arbutus (still in Béara), and than cured her! Sadly, her last Juniper up on Hungry Hill. years were also overshadowed Having closely studied liver- by the death of her mother and worts, plants requiring moist a fierce family quarrel. frost-free conditions, she Like many 19th century appreciated the importance of naturalists, she had a micro- Bantry Bay’s Atlantic- scope and clearly possessed a Mediterranean flora. She well thorough knowledge of the knew these special plants, algae, both larger seaweeds especially the insectivorous and tiny green and red cells butterworts (Pinguicula) and that colour rocks, trees and Bladderworts (Utricularia). ‘pond-scum’. Microscopy is Her radius of exploration was an ideal all-year and all- small but she made good use weather activity for an of a family yacht to visit invalid, especially as Ellen nearby islands, including was, as she said herself, short- Whiddy, then owned by the sighted. This is probably why Whites of Bantry House – this she concentrated on ‘lower island has since attracted plants’ – algae, lichens, almost no botanists! Yet the mosses and liverworts, all Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebu- needing close investigation of lus) she found near Whiddy’s minute features. But in sum- O’Sullivan castle is still there. mer she made excursions, Other rarities, such as Pelli- even into the hills, in search of tory-of-the-Wall on the castle flowering plants. She has left walls and Wild Radish on dis- us a full annotated list of some turbed ground, persist today, 360 flowering plant species although nobody’s seen Hen- that she recorded, all near the bane for over a century. head of Bantry Bay from But we remember her seashore to hilltop - a first chiefly for her work on lower 14 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 Extracting Water from Lakes and Rivers and its effects on their Ecology

with increased amounts of rainfall in can also lead to the exposure and By Dr Ciaran Byrne a monsoon style flood? If there is a concentration of mineral salts in concentration of rain in fewer days upper soil layers; which can nega- & Dr Ciara O’Leary are we likely to witness an increase tively impact plants that require low in drought conditions at other times salt concentrations. Economic Changes of the year? A reduction in water levels and flow means a shallower water body and Challenge is subject to greater temperature We all acknowledge that Ireland Extraction change. Increasing water tempera- has been going through a period of For centuries human habitation tures in summer can result in oxygen rapid growth over the last 15 to 20 has been clustered around the pres- depletion and fish kills, the other years. Our population has increased ence of freshwater (lakes and rivers) extreme is an increased risk of freez- from 3.5 million in 1991 to 4.2 in because it provides a source of water ing in winter months cutting off a 2006 (Central Statistics Office, 2006 for drinking and bathing, provides food supply for birds and other census Report.) This population food and was vital for transportation. fauna. As a result of these variations growth has not been evenly spread Increases in population and recent in temperature and a general increas- around the country; a significant pro- developments have meant that the ing trend in water temperatures we portion of it has been in the Greater providers of water infrastructure, may ultimately see a shift away from Dublin Area (GDA). In 2006 the local authorities, must extract water cold water species like trout and population of the GDA was 1.6 mil- from a greater range and number of salmon to more temperature tolerant lion people and the average daily sites to satisfy this increasing species like coarse fish and pike . demand for water was 515Million demand. The close proximity of Downstream from these river sys- litres/day (GDWSA Report 2006). humans to freshwater has in many tems the transitional waters these We must ask where does all of this cases had a negative impact on this rivers flow into may also see an water come from? important resource. ‘Freshwater increase in saline conditions due to In Ireland we have 74,000 km of Photo courtesy of Robbie Murphy ecosystems have lost a greater pro- the reduction in freshwater reaching Ireland’s surface waters supply 85% of the population with water – the remainder rivers of which approximately 77% portion of their species and habitat them. This can also result in a change comes from groundwater. (56, 980km) are 1st and 2nd order than terrestrial or marine ecosystems in the fish community structure with invertebrates affecting the animals all that has been done by continuing streams (stream widths ranging from making them arguably the most an increase in fully marine species that feed on this life stage, this has to returning sub standard water back 0.8 to 2.57m) and approximately threatened of ecosystem types on and a decrease in estuarine species. knock on effects throughout the com- into our water systems. While we all 12,026 lakes the majority of which Earth’ (McAllister et al 1997). The munity affecting the strength of the agree it is necessary to extract water are <1ha. So while we have a large effect this demand for water has on year class for trout and salmon we must strive to return the best wetted area it is spread out around our lakes and rivers include, inter Return of Extracted Water (Cowx 2000, Hughes & Morley, quality of water and find a balance the country in small tributaries and alia, a decrease in water levels. The While there are many problems 2000). By ensuring the similar nature between the amount of water we lakes. Yet these surface waters sup- euphotic zone is generally the most associated with removing water from of the returned water before release extract and maintaining the ecologi- ply 83% of the population with productive area of a lake; it is the ecosystems there are also issues into a catchment we can help miti- cal functioning of our waterways. water; the remainder coming from marked by the depth that sunlight can with the water we return to rivers and gate this problem (Hughes & Morley, To best protect our rivers and lakes groundwater (boreholes 11% and penetrate for photosynthesis. lakes. A percentage of the water that 2000). we also need to conserve the water springs 6%; Page et al. 2007 EPA Extracting water from rivers and is returned to our rivers and lakes is One of the key solutions to the we are currently taking out of the Report). The highest demand for lakes reduces the water level and can contaminated with chemicals such as problem of over extraction of water system as we can no longer afford to water comes from the urban areas on leave plants and macro invertebrates nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides, is to decide how much water the river waste it. There is a need to improve the east coast of Ireland; however it exposed to desiccation thus reducing bacteria and synthetic chemical. needs and when does it need the the social awareness of the public at is the west coast that sees the higher the amount of available productive Endocrine Disrupting Hormones water? large to the problems facing the percentage of rainfall throughout the habitat for the community. Lakes and (EDH) get into the water supply A report on the Greater Dublin country in relation to water demand year (1,000 to 1,250 mm/ year com- rivers that have their water level con- through food or the disposal of med- water supply in 2006 predicts that by and to encourage efficient use of pared with 750 to 1,000mm/year in trolled are exposed to fluctuating ication where they can affect the approximately 2010 production from water, such as the use of grey water the east; Met Eireann). This creates a water levels with periods of desicca- reproduction and development of existing sources will reach environ- for the watering of plants and the use dilemma, the demand for water is in tion followed by periods of species by interfering with the natu- mentally sustainable limits. In of low flow showers and toilets in the east and is set to increase, how- submersion. This change in water ral hormones present (Merrit, 2000). 2015/16 our demand for water will homes. With the C4I prediction of ever the majority of the rainfall is conditions results in the success of Many compounds used in the past exceed our supply. New supplies wetter winters Ireland needs to store located in the west. less sensitive species and ultimately such as organic chemical-based pes- need to be in operation as early as more water over the winter time The Community Climate Change reduced species diversity. The less ticides are long-lived and take many 2012 and no later than 2015 if water without damaging the morphology of Consortium (C4I) predicts that Ire- sensitive species are either tolerant years to break down so, even though rationing and curtailment of eco- our lakes and rivers. There are vari- land will have warmer wetter winters of desiccation or are highly mobile to these products are no longer in use nomic growth are to be avoided. The ous alternatives to dams being and warmer drier summers (McGrath keep pace with the fluctuating water we are still affected by their contam- real threat to the ecology of Irish investigated and further work on et al. 2008). The average temperature levels. ination in the soils and leaching into Rivers and lakes will be realised over environmentally friendly water stor- in the year 2021 – 2060 will be 1 to The drop in water level doesn’t the water supply. (Lungqvist & the next few years as our demand for age is advised. With increasing 1.5 °C higher compared to the years just impact the biology of the lake Falkenmark, 2000). water increases and the variability demand for water we need to ensure 1960 to 2000. They are predicting a but also the topography, the exposure In most cases the water returned to associated with climate change starts that water is fairly divided between 10 – 20% increase in precipitation in of plant roots to the air and the even- a river has different chemical (pH, to manifest itself. the requirements of our freshwater winter and 10 – 20% decrease in pre- tual die back results in increased soil Hardness) and physical (temperature, The Water Framework Directive ecosystems and human consumption. cipitation in summer. While we may erosion and possible collapse of the dissolved oxygen) characteristics (WFD) has been incorporated into In summary water is not a commer- receive 750mm to 1,000mm of rain banks. Plants found lower down in than the water extracted. The return Irish Law and Inland Fisheries Ire- cial product but rather a valuable per year currently it is spread out the lake bed soon become exposed to of water of a different quality into a land (IFI) are in the middle of an heritage which must be protected, over approximately 150 days, a wave action as a result of the reduced-flow river means there is intensive fieldwork programme defended and treated as such. change in rainfall patterns could see decrease in water levels. The macro- less water for dilution, making it a monitoring the fish stocks in rivers, an increase in flash flooding and the phytes found in Irish lakes are greater problem than in a normal lakes, canals and transitional waters. distribution of average annual rain- generally poor at rooting and during flow river. Temperature affects the Dr. Ciaran O’Byrne & Dr. Ciara Under the WFD we are obliged to fall over a shorter time period. This stormy conditions they can be easily growth pattern of many fish and O’Leary, Inland Fisheries Ireland, improve and maintain the quality of predicted change in how and when uprooted and deposited on the lake invertebrate species. Increasing the Inland Fisheries Ireland. our waterways. Significant amounts we receive our water may have an shore, leaving the lake bed barren water temperature during the sum- Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie of time and money have been spent effect on the ability to extract water. and interrupting the functioning of mer growth period may also result in on this task and we cannot jeopardise Can our water infrastructure cope the ecosystem. A drop in water level the loss of a life stage for macro SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______15 Exploring the Marine Environment

Then, everything was new, exciting and full By Paul Kay of wonder. There were new worlds to explore, and it was possible to see aspects of nature I DID not start out in my photographic career which I had never even thought existed - all with any intent on shooting underwater. When could be photographed As a photographer I felt I finished studying I had no involvement in the myself gradually drawn into taking more and marine environment at all. And I originally more marine images and my initial inability to came to Sherkin Island Marine Station to pro- see what was below the sea inevitably meant duce an archival record of both Sherkin and the that after my first visit to the station, I simply surrounding islands. This was a loose brief, and had to learn how to scuba dive. I have been div- inevitably I photographed just about everything ing ever since, almost always with a camera, that needed an image taking of it. Looking back and recording what I have seen. it is difficult to say precisely when I realised This has meant visiting many places, some that I was hooked on photographing marine of them far off, but many more closer to home. life. There is no doubt that it was whilst I was Ireland’s south and west coasts remain very at the Sherkin Island Marine Station in the special though, not simply because this is early eighties, but I couldn’t give an exact date. where my interest started but because these The marine station offered a tremendous Atlantic coasts actually offer some of the most freedom to ‘go and find out’, to explore the diverse, interesting and stunningly beautiful Paul Kay environment surrounded by inquisitive people undersea areas in the world. Despite the water  and an incredible resource of technical, scien- being cool, it teems with life and often the Photo tific and natural history books. Matt Murphy seabed here is totally covered in life. Rocky Jewel Anemones occur in vast sheets of many thousand individuals and are amazingly beautiful. whose vision was, and still is, to acquire infor- reefs are home to a myriad of species, many of mation which will be useful now and in the which are brilliantly coloured and easily the ter, it was with relatively basic equipment. has also led me into avenues which I could future had somehow managed to set up the equal of warmer, tropical coral reefs. Underwater photography was very difficult never have anticipated, such as being co-author station in an ideal location both above and When I started taking photographs underwa- back in the early eighties and relied on a great and publisher of a book on Welsh (and so below water. deal of input from the photographer. Over the largely British and Irish) marine fish! years technology has changed, not slowly but And after nearly thirty years I am still in sudden bursts, helping with the problems enthused about the marine environment and its and things have become a great deal easier. inhabitants. I still find myself fascinated by Whilst the advent of digital photography has what I see and record and still ask questions, of revolutionised photography in general, it has others and of myself as to what exactly is going totally and utterly transformed underwater pho- on down there? How do creatures survive in tography. Today taking pictures underwater is such a hostile environment? What are the inter- very far removed from how it was back in the actions that I, as a scuba diver and early eighties. photographer, can only catch glimpses of, in But as photography has become easier, the the all too short times I can fleetingly visit the need to know as much as possible about the undersea world. marine environment and to be able to identify its inhabitants has become more and more Paul Kay, www.marinewildlife.co.uk – stock important. To portray creatures properly means marine life photo sales having some understanding of them and their www.underseacameras.com – Seacam habitat and this has meant learning a great deal underwater equipment sales about them, as well as observing and under- standing them from an experience routeway. www.paulkayphotography.co.uk – professional So knowledge is now the key to taking photographyPaul Kay can be contacted at: underwater photographs of marine natural his- [email protected]. Tel: 0044 (0) tory subjects. My grounding at the Sherkin 1248 681361 Island Marine Station has served me well, 0044 (0) 77 02411614 imbuing into me a desire to not only take pho- www.paulkayphotography.co.uk tographs, but also to understand what I am www.marinewildlife.co.uk trying to portray with my images. Knowledge www.underseacameras.com

On sale every week at all good newsagents.

"The Week Wouldn't Be The Same Without It!" 16 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______17

Paul Kay A Spiny Spider Crab debates whether the Hermit crabs are an often  camera needs to be warned off - arms seen marine inhabitant - this slightly raised in case action is needed. Photos one is in a brittlestar bed.

A Scorpion Spider Crab which has fixed pieces of sponge to its body as camouflage (similar crabs are know in the tropics as decorator crabs).

A Greater Pipefish peers out from behind seaweed but still relies on blending in with the surrounding seaweed to make itself inconspicuous.

A male common Dragonet in breeding colours is one of the most colourful fish in our temperate seas.

Exploring the Marine Environment Photography by Paul Kay

A hydroid 'garden' - everything in this picture is animal except for the red seaweeds. Sea slugs can be incredibly delicate and beautifully patterned and coloured but many do not possess a common name - this on is Janolus cristatus.

Colourful Devonshire Cup Corals are temperate hard corals but are solitary creatures, so they are not reef forming. 18 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50

the aquifer, and to vertical motion of Groundwater level responses the well, caused by the seismic wave to global seismic events passing through the earth’s surface. After the tsunami in the Indian The degree to which the water table Ocean (on 26th December 2006) GSI in a well fluctuates in response to a staff noticed water table short, sharp seismic wave depends upon the fluctuations in their records coinci- dimensions of the well, the proper- Groundwater ties of the aquifer, as well as the dent with the timing of the earthquake which caused the tsunami properties of the seismic wave. All shaken up by earthquakes! (see Figure 3). Could the groundwa- Acknowledgements ter in Ireland be responding to This work was undertaken as part of an seismic events happening over 7000 EPA “Science, Technology, Research and miles away? Innovation for the Environment” By Katie Tedd and hence the animals and plants i.e. a float connected to a pen which To answer this question, GSI staff (STRIVE) research programme and was within them, are sustained by recorded variations in water level reviewed their historic records to try carried out in conjunction with Trinity groundwater during dry summer onto a chart on a rotating drum (see College Dublin and the GSI. For further GROUNDWATER is present to identify any similar events. This months. Therefore it is important to Figure 1a). In the mid 2000s the review identified over one hundred information please see the research sec- beneath all of our feet - in the tiny tion of the EPA website know how the water table is chang- EPA updated the national groundwa- water table fluctuations coincident pores and cracks of rocks and sedi- (http://www.epa.ie/researchandeduca- ing with time. ter level monitoring network. with seismic events occurring in ments. An underground layer of rock tion/research/). Long term assessment (years to Monitoring is now recorded elec- countries all over the world. or sediment that yields water is decades) allows the impact of chang- tronically via instruments called data But how is this possible? known as an aquifer. The level ing climatic factors, or long term loggers (see Figure 1b). Research shows that this is a known Written by Katie Tedd, July 2010. within an aquifer below which the pumping, on groundwater levels to phenomenon and has been identified Katie Tedd is a research fellow based ground is completely saturated is be assessed and thus allows ground- elsewhere. The water table responds in The Trinity Centre for the called the water table. RESULTS: water resources to be managed to the dilatation and compression of Environment, TCD. This article investigates what can sustainably. Water table variations be learnt from water table monitor- ing in the southeast of Ireland. Figure 2 shows how the water How do we monitor table may vary in a number of differ- ent settings. The depth of the water Why monitor the Water Table? table varies in response to rainfall, The Geological Survey of Ireland pumping of nearby wells and aquifer the water table? (GSI), local authorities and the Envi- characteristics. In general, however, Groundwater provides approxi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) it follows an annual cycle, respond- mately one quarter of our drinking have been collecting data on water ing to the seasonal variation in water nationally, with many rural table levels in Ireland since the rainfall. The water table is generally communities depending entirely 1960s. Historically the water table at its lowest in the summer or autumn upon groundwater sources for drink- was monitored either by manual months when rainfall has usually ing water. In addition, many rivers, measurements or via chart recorders been low. It rises in the autumn and winter months in response to increased rainfall and reaches an annual maximum in the winter or spring. This research showed that the water table in bedrock aquifers in the south east of Ireland tend to recharge more quickly, and reach their lowest levels earlier, than gravel aquifers (compare Figures 2 a, b and c with d). The research also showed that, for bedrock aquifers, a well’s setting is the dominant factor influencing how the water table changed with time; with aquifer type and sediment Figure 1. Groundwater level monitoring systems (a) GSI chart recorder recording properties producing only secondary groundwater levels and (b) downloading water table data from a data logger in an EPA monitoring point effects (see Figure 2 a, b and c).

Figure 2. Water table variation differs depending upon the well's settings: (a) a well located on a hilltop close to exposed rock (Jan 1971 - 1979); (b) a well located in marshy area ( Jan 1978 - 1986); (c) a well located immediately beside a river (Jan 1995 - 2003) and (d) a well located in a sand and gravel aquifer (Jan 1974 - 1982).

Figure 3. Groundwater level fluctuations in response to seismic events: the earthquake which caused the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (26th December) as well as a smaller earthquake off the Macquarie Island, Australia (23rd December). SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______19 A Challenge for a Small Town

sands of people from the United members spoke to interested groups, By Dave Crestin States, Canada and Europe. visited student classrooms, made Because a great deal of Cape Cod presentations to town government NEW England’s State of Massa- was set within the boundaries of the officials, and asked for support from Vision of the Harwich chusetts has always played a leading Cape Cod National Seashore, estab- Harwich citizens gathered en mass at role in the United States to preserve lished by President John F. Kennedy formal town meetings to vote for land in its natural state, thereby pro- Conservation Trust in the early 1960s, the amount of annual town operating budgets. tecting scenic views, wildlife habitat, land available for new home con- Today, the HCT raises funds through The Harwich Conservation Trust public drinking water supply, walk- struction was significantly limited in yearly paid memberships (more than is a leader in creating public-pri- ing trails and many other open space an already geographically restricted 700), outright gifts of cash and land, vate land conservation values. This has been accomplished area. New private home construction bequests, and through the multiple partnerships that sustain Har- by virtue of a proactive land trust was not allowed within the bound- services of numerous volunteers. wich as a livable, vibrant movement complemented by munic- aries of the National Seashore. As a Although in 1988 the HCT was the community for current and ipal and state land acquisition efforts result, the adjacent private proper- future generations. Harwich's that are further buttressed by envi- youngest on Cape Cod to initiate ties, being now in such short supply, such conservation efforts, the con- sandy beaches, windswept ronmental laws. Despite these became highly sought after by real marshes, quiet woods, and sun- natural resource protection initia- cept paid interest and dividends estate developers. through growing support. And the dappled waters create a fragile tives, development outpaced Citizens feared that the amenities place that is home to residents and a destination for tourists. Overdevel- conservation over the decades. same circumstances prevailed in that made Harwich and other Cape other Cape Cod towns. Now, HCT is opment erodes the environmental qualities that shape our sense of place. Following World War Two, an HCT seeks to preserve Harwich's quality of life by protecting priority Cod towns desirable places to live or a leading land trust on Cape Cod. increase in leisure time and income lands because it is the smart, practical, necessary thing to do for them- visit would be eliminated, based upon In fact, groups in communities all levels coupled with a strong economy selves, their families, their town, their region. evidence of ever decreasing amounts over the State of Massachusetts, led to a huge home building industry. of open space. The issue was also the This trend increased exponentially whether inland or along the coast, disappearance of buildable land. had initiated similar efforts to save during the 1970s and 1980s. It was a Strong state and town laws and regu- open space. The potential benefits of time when vacation homes became lations already protected doing so became so popular that quite popular. While land protection non-buildable wetland areas and their astute politicians became active lob- efforts helped preserve much impor- buffer zones. But something had to be byists within the legislature. Ultimate tant habitat during the building boom done for the uplands, and soon. In recognition for the importance of pre- along ponds and lakes, streams, rivers 1988, when the total full-time popu- serving open space was underpinned and the ocean, a land-use time-bomb lation of Harwich was less than through legislation signed by the gov- was ticking. Impacts like coastal 10,000, but with a substantial popula- ernor, which established a “Land water quality degradation, wildlife tion increase during summer months, Bank.” The Land Bank was funded habitat loss, and erosion of Cape Cod a group of concerned citizen volun- through a three percent surcharge on character started to galvanize grass teers established the Harwich roots action. Conservation Trust (HCT). Since annual town real estate tax bills. Thus The small community still being then the Trust has successfully helped far millions of dollars have been challenged is called Harwich, and is the town to permanently protect open raised and put to use to purchase open located on the southeast coast of space, sensitive environments, space. The best way to preserve open Massachusetts about half way sea- important wetlands not covered space is to own it. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Kennard ward along Cape Cod, a narrow arm under state law, and scenic vistas. The Land Bank, while similar in The Harwich Conservation Trust helped the Town save this 42-acre priority. of land reaching into the ocean, The challenge, however, was how theory to the goals of the HCT, is in beckoning countless visitors to its to begin and sustain a movement to fact a separate town-level initiative sandy shores. Harwich is a typical, purchase land that was becoming for land preservation. The HCT, small New England coastal commu- ever more desirable and valuable. being a nonprofit entity not affiliated nity known primarily for its fishing, Thus, a keen need was either outright with government, can act on its own cranberry growing and ocean-cen- gifts of land, or cash donations by to purchase land if it is able to do so, tred tourism. Harwich has always which land could be purchased. With or to join its funds with Land Bank been a prime vacation spot for thou- uncommon enthusiasm, the HCT funds to purchase open space if approved by the town’s voters. The Trust and the town often work together to acquire properties. It is significant to note that the full- time population of Harwich in 2010 is currently 12, 300, but during sum- mer grows to almost 36,000. Human pressure on the landscape and water resources is enormous. Yet, there A rickety wooden walking bridge over a protected tidal creek and salt marsh at Red exists an appreciation as well as a Foster Photo courtesy of Stephanie River Beach, in Harwich, shot during both low and new-moon high tide. sensitivity to the efforts made to keep Scenic Monomoy River as seen from State Highway Route 28. Harwich as an environmentally sus- tainable resource. Much of the credit for such an achievement is due to the Harwich Conservation Trust, whose members met the challenge.

Dave Crestin and his wife Beth are volunteers with the Harwich Conservation Trust. Complete details concerning the HCT can be found at www.harwichconservation- trust.org As of June 25, 2010, the HCT has assumed stewardship over nearly 400 acres, monitors and maintains nearly 14 miles of

Photos courtesy of Dave Crestin walking trails, holds 9 conservation Red River Beach, a highly protected area and a good example of why many restrictions, and enjoys the services of HCT volunteers count American eels that migrate over a dike, thanks to HCT's vacationers desire to visit the area. several hundred citizen volunteers. innovative eel migration ramp. 20 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 Conserving Irish Plant Wealth A new era of conservation research at the National Botanic Gardens By Dr. Noleen Smyth Irish plant species will be Christina Campbell another accessible for education and PhD researcher at Glasnevin IN 1790 the Irish parlia- research purposes at the gar- is focusing her research on ment granted funds to the dens. A new area has been set rare and threatened Royal Dublin Society to aside in the gardens entitled bryophytes (moss and liver- Annual display beds at the National Botanic Gardens. establish a public botanic gar- “Wild Ireland” this will show- wort species); in her research case Ireland’s habitats and work to date she has discov- with the National University edulis) a South African plant were proposed including the dens. In 1795 the gardens of Ireland, Maynooth and is invading Ireland’s sea cliffs establishment of a Global were founded at Glasnevin on landscapes along with dis- ered new populations of some playing some of our most critically endangered species. researching the biogeography on the east coast. In order to Island Plant Conservation the same site where they still of Irish arctic-alpine fulfil its new role as biodiver- Network, a European Net- remain today. The original critically endangered plant These cryptic species will be species. New funding and aca- on display to the public at the Caryophyllaceae with post- sity and conservation work of Botanic Gardens aim of the gardens was to pro- graduate PhD. researcher champions the gardens run a working with Cryptogams and mote a scientific approach to demic links between the gardens for the first time in gardens and the National “Wild Ireland”. These new Emma Howard-Williams. Dr. very popular Introduction a Cycad Collection Consor- the study of agriculture, in the Matthew Jebb, Dr. Noeleen Irish Botany course, a series tium. The gardens under the early years the gardens collec- Parks and Wildlife Service, researchers have strengthened Trinity College Botany the gardens links and ensure Smyth and former staff mem- of practical demonstrations current directorship of Dr. tions focused on plants that ber Ms. Cristina Armstrong and lectures relating to Irish Matthew Jebb will continue to were useful as food and medi- Department and National Uni- that there is future expertise in versity of Ireland Maynooth Ireland in key areas. are involved with Invasive botany and conservation. expand the role of conserva- cine. By the 1830’s the garden Species Ireland, Fingal and In June 2010 the gardens tion, and safeguard Irish had expanded its role to have brought the first post- Dr. Darach Lupton is work- graduate researchers to the ing on a range of projects Mayo Co. Council and to date hosted the 4th Global Botanic biodiversity into the future. include the pursuit of botani- they have helped to develop Gardens Congress “Address- cal knowledge. gardens. One of the gardens including conservation biol- PhD. research students Emer ogy of the rare Irish species management plans for the ing global change - a new Dr. Noleen Smyth, Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson was control of Giant rhubarb agenda for Botanic Gardens”, appointed Director in 2005, in Ni Dhuill is focusing her work the “Kerry Lilly” (Simethis Conservation Botanist, on conservation of the enig- planifolia) and gathering (Gunnera tinctoria) an inva- over 370 delegates from 53 National Botanic Gardens, his former role as Chairman of sive species from South countries participated in the matic and iconic “Killarney knowledge on all known Irish Glasnevin, Dublin 8, Ireland. Botanic Gardens Conserva- America which is scourging congress that was a major tion International (BGCI) he fern” (Trichomanes specio- crop wild relatives in associa- www.botanicgardens.ie sum). Her work involves tion with the National the West of Ireland and the coup for the gardens. New ini- pioneered a new role for Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus tiatives for botanic gardens botanic gardens in plant con- monitoring populations in the Biodiversity Data Centre. The servation in recognition of the field, genetically fingerprint- gardens former Director Dr. current extinction crisis, an ing populations and growing Peter Wyse Jackson is also estimated two-thirds of the an insurance conservation col- very active in this area and has world plants are threatened lection in the gardens and in just completed a book on the through habitat loss, popula- vitro at Teagasc Kinsealy uses of wild Irish plants. Dr. tion growth and climate Research Station, Dublin. Colin Kelleher has teamed up change (Dr. Wyse Jackson is currently President of the Mis- souri Botanic Gardens). In 2007 three new botanical posts were created and these were filled by Dr. Colin Kelle- her, Dr. Darach Lupton and

Dr. Noeleen Smyth with the Courtesy of National Botanic Gardens primary aim to fulfil the plant conservation targets as out- lined under “Ireland's National Strategy for Plant Conservation” (http://www.botanicgardens.ie /gspc/inspc.htm). The gardens aim to ensure that all rare and threatened Killarney Fern House at the National Botanic Gardens.

Research and herbarium library building. SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______21 The Northern Cousins

in 1960s flew Iceland’s domes- above the sheeps’ winter quar- We should not blame Ice- By Daphne tic routes. We flew low, turning ters. The hay was far from land for the ash cloud over the into the long narrow fjord that fully dry but Iceland’s great world’s most busy airspace. Pochin Mould is Isafjordur. Close to one side, rivers supply plentiful elec- The world’s airlines must with wing tip close to the tricity and would air dry the realise that there are erupting “Whatever I can do for you, mountain flank, we turned hay in the barn. volcanoes along all of the that I will do” smartly at the fjord head to land By ferry boat we crossed to world’s great fracture lines - THE year 1963 was a time on the airstrip along the oppo- Bildudalur and I went to stay many much more powerful of rapid change, both for Ire- site shore of the fjord inlet. with Dr. Einar Gudmondsson, than the recent little one – and land and our Icelandic cousins. It was then that Icelandair’s his Danish wife Alma, and they must plan for them. It is In Ireland some farms still agent set wheels in motion. their six children. As an only world poverty and neglect of churned their own butter while He got the local museum open child, this was my only in- the poor, which tumbles cities a procession of horse drawn for me – a place full of old depth experience of a big and kills thousands. carts took the churns to the farm and fishing gear, tradi- family. I kept in touch for Volcanoes are fascinating things and Iceland has exam- ples of most types. No (modified) Courtesy of US Dept. State volcano erupted when I was nent life established itself on narsholt was much black sand there in 1963 but at the end of brand new land. Birds of but crossed by lines of grass November that year, fisher- course made use of it, “to species on trial. Today it is a men off the south coast noted warm their feet”, Icelanders complex of buildings, labs etc. a rise in the temperature of the quipped. Nowadays Surtsey and heavily involved in soil sea and then rock sand ash has a lighthouse and is a research. It has a garden with breaking the surface. Radio mature island. trees and flowers, with lines of calls went out in an hour or so, In 1963, I was taken to Gun- shelter belts protect its fields. nersholt, the unlucky farmer, and aircraft with cameramen Every time I visit, the whole and geologists were soon at where one Gunnar had his country grows greener with the scene. Undersea eruptions farm smothered deep in the more grass, swatches of blue

Courtesy of NOAA black sand spewed out by Courtesy of NASA are not unusual but Iceland Alaskan lupins (to fix nitrogen Surtsey on November 30, 1963, 16 days after the beginning of Surtsey in June 2001. saw the birth of a new island Helka. Today, machines could in their roots) and more and the eruption. that year and continues to scrape it up and sell it for con- keep a check on Surtsey struction work, but then more trees. Icelandic forestry local creamery and gossiped tional dress, the “Langspiel” years and once stayed with (Surtr, the Norse god of fire). Gunner had just to let his farm is just over a hundred years while they waited. (a one stringed fiddle) and so them in Reykjavik for my best From coarse black and “ash” become a desert of black sand. old, and roaming the world for It was a little the same in forth. Iceland so lately settled Christmas ever. (which the sea could easily And in 1963, the soil scientists new species to try. Woodland Iceland - you could still see has no prehistory. He directed And so to Patreksfjordur, wash away) and massive were confident that they could walks are now part of the Ice- churns on roadside stands, me where to eat and to go to, where I stayed with the flows of lava, new and perma- reclaim such land. Then Gun- landic scene. waiting for collection. But especially the town’s Botanic (Lutheran) priest. He took me Icelanders were different – Garden with entry through the fishing and I caught a trout. they had also taken to the air jaw bones of a whale. Transport was then organised like their native falcons. Tech- He thought the doctor in the (car and jeep) for the long nology was now the name of next fjord would help and rang rough ride down the fjord to the game! him. He found he had a clinic Latrabjarg. Thousands upon Iceland is a very big island, in another little town and that thousands of sea birds nest with a very small population. It “going home he can divert there and now in late summer, was the last settled part of round here and pick you up”. the place stank of bird drop- Europe (8th century) and the And in the evening he did just pings. Cara Partners wish continued first to have a democratic par- that… Up to the head of the Ever since that journey I liament and government. fjord, up the hillside to the have wondered about our Outlaws were not to be “fed summits and down the other to much-vaunted Irish hospital- success to Matt and his team at and forwarded, helped or har- the next fjord. But later, I came ity and wonder if it’s that real? boured”, but others could be. to Isofjordur by a long tunnel, In 1963, they were expect- Sherkin Island Marine Station There is a story of a man who cut through the hills we drove ing Katla (of whom we have built his house across a road so over. Doctors in these remote heard so much of late) to erupt he might entertain all travellers. parts had to be able to deal – based on observances of Nowadays it is very easy to with any medical crisis, and so previous cycles. She did not travel anywhere in Iceland, had a room or two where a erupt then and has not since, with its numerous airfields, sick person could be treated. but when she does she will do domestic air service, good bus Or a bed to give a stranger. a lot of damage. Helka, service and many organised The doctor had fire-red hair, thought in mediaeval times to tours. Visitors can also ride the which he thought might show be the gate of hell, and also beautiful Viking horses for his Irish origins. They say thought to be long extinct, short jaunts or a week-long every Icelandic woman’s genes burst forth again in the 1960s. journey across Iceland. But in are Celtic. Vast fishing fleets “I knew the old b**** wasn’t 1963 there was no bus trip to from Europe came north every dead” one farmer’s wife said. the great cliff in the northwest year to harvest, the seas of Ice- The Atlantic Rift runs across fjords of Iceland - the most land and Newfoundland, with Iceland and her volcanoes western point of Europe (not many Irish among the early set- were scattered along this line Slea Head!). How was I to tlers - the sea links all islands. of movement. In Reykjavik, a travel and explore the north- We went for a picnic in the great research institution stud- west and stand on the great next fjord by the lovely little ies all these things - cliff of Latnabjarg? I depended waterfall, Mjolka (Milk earthquakes, eruptions and hot on Icelandic hospitality. water), which makes electric- springs – to see if we can pre- I had flown from Reykjavik ity for the district. I was dict them. to Isafjordur (Ice Fjord), in the shown around the power plant Iceland may be shaken by far north west of Iceland, in that and my name is in its Visitors earthquakes, but her houses old “workhorse of the world”, Book. With long handled have to be built to withstand the DC/3 (Dakota) - that do wooden rakes I had joined a as much as possible. These anything, go anywhere airplane friends’ family turning hay in days it is possible to build of the WWII period and which the 24 hour summer sun, strong houses that will put up which we packed into the loft with a shaking. 22 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ELECTRIC RAYS (Order: Torpediniformes) in Irish & North-west European Waters

via water currents produced by undu- waters, it appears to be never abun- By Declan T. Quigley lations of the pectoral disc. Their dant (or perhaps just rarely recorded). relatively large distensible mouth The earliest known reference to the ELECTRIC Rays belong to a small enables them to consume relatively occurrence of T. nobiliana in Irish order of rays (Torpediniformes) rep- large prey (a 1.9kg salmon was found waters dates from c.1740 (off Dun- resented by a two families ABOVE: Marbled Electric Ray (T. marmorata) in the stomach of a UK specimen). garvan, Co Waterford). Although the (Torpedinidae & Narcinidae), eleven RIGHT: Atlantic Electric Ray (T. nobiliana) Electric Rays differ from most other species was regarded as rare up until genera and about 59 described rays in that they possess a well-devel- the late 1950s (there are only 49 specimens recorded from Irish waters species. oped caudal fin that is used during known published records to date), it to date ranged from 66-107cm (mean The Torpedinidae (Torpedo Elec- locomotion. While most rays use is now generally regarded as scarce 83.8cm; N=13). tric Rays & Coffin Ray) are their pectoral fins for locomotion, and that most specimens are probably Apart from January, February and represented by two genera (Torpedo – this anatomical region has been discarded at sea. 50% of the Irish April, T. nobiliana has been recorded 21 species & Hypnos – 1 species). usurped for electric organ function in records were reported from the SW from Irish inshore waters (16-100m; Three species of Torpedo have been the Torpediniforme. coast (Cos Cork & Kerry), as well as mean depth 61.4m, N=5) between recorded from the NE Atlantic Electric Rays generally inhabit appreciable numbers from the SE (Co March and December (Figure 2). (Atlantic Electric Ray T. nobiliana, continental shelf waters in tropical Wexford), E (Co Dublin) & NE Irish However, the vast majority were Marbled Electric Ray T. marmorata and temperate latitudes, most com- Sea (Cos Louth & Antrim) – Table 1. reported during late summer and & Eyed Electric Ray T. torpedo). monly in relatively shallow inshore However, it should be noted that most autumn, with August accounting for However, only the first two species waters (<100m). However, T. nobil- of the records from Co Dublin were over 40%. It has been suggested that have been recorded from NW Euro- iana has been recorded at depths of reported during the 1800s. The the species may migrate northwards pean waters, while T. torpedo has 530m on deep-water cold coral reefs species appears to be relatively rare into NW European waters during the Images courtesy of Paul Kay www.marinewildlife.co.uk only been recorded from as far north of Lophelia pertusa off the south- off the W and NW coast. summer, but the Irish data, albeit lim- Hook Head, Co Wexford during July as southern Biscay. The Coffin Ray eastern US. Unlike most rays which ited, suggests that at least some 1986. The UK rod & line record, (Hypnos monopterygius) appears to lay external egg cases, Electric Rays specimens occur in inshore waters weighing 43.6kg was captured off be endemic to Australia. give birth to live young (aplacental throughout most of the year. Since Dodman Point, Cornwall during The Narcinidae (Numbfishes) are ovoviviparity). juveniles are reported to be set free in 1975. represented by 9 genera and at least Although Electric Rays are gener- offshore waters (they have not been recorded from either Irish inshore or 37 species, none of which have been ally discarded by NW European Marbled Electric Ray recorded from the NE Atlantic. fishing vessels because of their per- offshore waters), perhaps the adults Indeed, only two species of Nar- ceived low commercial value, since migrate inshore during the summer (Torpedo marmorata) and autumn to feed (and possibly cinidae have been recorded from 1984 they have been subjected to The Marbled Electric Ray is widely mate) before migrating offshore Atlantic, both from the western increasing exploitation by French, distributed in Eastern Atlantic inshore and/or southwards again during the Atlantic: the Lesser Electric Ray Portuguese and Spanish vessels (Fig- waters (<100m) from the Kattegat winter? Elsewhere, the species has (Narcine bancroftii) and the Brazilian ure 1). Indeed, since the late 1990s (rarely) southwards to South Africa, been reported to migrate over long Electric Ray (N. brasiliensis). there has been a substantial (and dis- including the Mediterranean (but distances. Electric Rays possess modified turbing) increase in landings (103 excluding the Black Sea). T. mar- The maximum published length for hyoid and branchial musculature tonnes in 2006). morata is easily distinguished from T. the species is 180cm. A specimen (pectoral fins) capable of emitting an nobiliana by its brown marbled mark- weighing c.90kg was reported from electrical discharge of up to 50 volts ings, the presence of 6-8 large Atlantic Electric Ray near Provincetown, Massachusetts, (and 50 amps), producing an output T. nobiliana is not a prolific tentacles surrounding each spiracle USA. The weight of specimens approaching 1kW. The electrical dis- (Torpedo nobiliana) species and its fecundity is rather low and relatively small size (usually recorded from Irish waters to date charge can be used either as a defence The Atlantic Electric Ray is widely making it very highly vulnerable to <60cm & <3kg). T. marmorata is ranged from 4.5-52.6kg (mean 18.9; mechanism or for stunning prey at a distributed in the Eastern Atlantic over-exploitation. Studies of Mediter- entirely benthic and appears to prefer N=14). The species was first included distance of up to 15cm away. Electric from Scotland (rarely from the North ranean populations suggest that males sandy and/or boulder-strewn ground. by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee Rays normally lie on the bottom and Sea) to South Africa, including the and females mature at lengths of 55.0 The species has not been reported to (ISFC) in its list of eligible rod & line ambush prey during daytime, but at and 60.0cm respectively. Litters of up breed in NW European waters. Mediterranean (but excluding the caught species in 1977 at a minimum night they swim or drift slowly in the to 60 neonates measuring 17-22cm T. marmorata is the rarer of the two Black Sea) and in the Western qualifying weight of 9.072kg (20lbs). water column. Upon encountering a are produced after a gestation period species of Electric Ray recorded in Atlantic, from Nova Scotia to the However, since then, only 4 speci- potential prey, they envelope it with of about one year (possibly bienni- NW European waters. It has occasion- northern coast of South America. mens have been ratified; the largest their pectoral fins and emit pulsed ally). Although all of the specimens ally been reported from the western Although the species is the more weighing 40kg was captured off recorded in NW European waters English Channel (first confirmed UK electrical outputs. The stunned prey is common of the two species of Elec- Achill, Co Mayo during August 2008. would appear to be adults, there are record in 1963) and southern North then pushed towards the ray’s mouth tric Ray found in NW European However, a larger, albeit unverified conflicting reports about whether or Sea and appears to be relatively com- specimen, weighing 52.6kg was not the species actually breeds at mon around Guernsey, particularly reported to have been captured off Figure 1. Commercial Landings of Electric Rays (Torpedo spp.) these northern latitudes. The length of during the summer and autumn which by European Fleets (FAO: 1984-2008) suggests a northward migration ear- Figure 2. Monthly frequency distribution of Irish lier in the year. Although the species Torpedo nobiliana records has not been recorded from Irish waters to date, single records from western Scotland (Tiree Island, 1968) and the Shetlands (1995) suggest its likely presence. It is recommended that all speci- mens of Electric Ray captured in Irish waters should be critically (and care- fully) examined in order to verify identification to species level.

Declan T. Quigley, Dingle Oceanworld (Mara Beo Teo), The Wood, Dingle, Co Kerry. Mobile: 087-6458485; Email: [email protected] SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______23 The Burrenbeo Trust

empowering the local community through edu- By Brigid Barry cation provision. Through the ‘Ecobeo’ heritage education programme, courses for 2 THE Burren region, 720km of limestone both local schools and adults are carried out, karst located in Counties Clare and Galway, is covering themes such as geology, archaeology, a geological, archaeological, ecological and history, flora, fauna, culture and farming tradi- cultural hotspot. Sadly, this uniquely endowed tions. The aim of this programme is to open up region is suffering from a combination of fac- the Burren’s vast and varied heritage to its tors: a steady decline in traditional farming community; the children as its future custodi- practices, pressure from a growing tourism ans; and the adults as its current protectors. To industry and a generally disjointed approach to date, over 500 Burren children have graduated its management. as ‘Burren Experts’ from these heritage The Burrenbeo Trust was set up in 2008 to courses. create a greater appreciation of the Burren and To create an active Burren conservation to work towards the future sustainable manage- community, earlier this year the Trust launched ment of this wondrous and fragile region. The the Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers pro- work of the Trust is carried out by offering a gramme. Already 75 individuals are registered Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers carrying out conservation work in the Burren. range of education and information provision with this group to carry out monthly ‘action’ services, supporting and disseminating days tackling key conservation issues across bring groups all ages. Tailor made programmes all stalkholders to work towards. research, advocacy work and striving to build a the Burren. Activities range from maintaining are available for visiting groups from all school So don’t miss out – join the Trust, be part of new vision for the region. areas of species-rich grasslands to rebuilding levels. the Burren community and become more stone walls, from mapping areas of prehistoric Finally, the Burrenbeo Trust is working with informed about this unique landscape. For more settlements to clearing rubbish. The volunteer the Heritage Council and other local partners in information on the Burren, becoming a member group has been hugely successful at giving building a charter for the Burren. Along with of the Burrenbeo Trust, subscribing to the free individuals the opportunity to learn about some other key partners in the region; Burren IFA, monthly newsletter, registering as a volunteer, of the key conservation issues that exist in the Burren Connect and Burren Farming for Con- or visiting our centre please look up www.bur- Burren and to actively tackle these issues. servation Programme, the Trust is working on a renbeo.com, email [email protected] or In order to better inform the visitors and ground-up participatory approach with differ- ring 091 638096. locals to the Burren, the Trust organizes regular ent sectors (tourism, farming, businesses etc) to walks and talks. Each month, the Trust organ- forge a common vision. This work aims to ises a guided walk by a local heritage expert Brigid Barry, Trust Coordinator, Burrenbeo build better integration within and between the and a lecture that is carried out on a specific Trust, Main Street, Kinvara, Co.Galway, existing range of stakeholders and communi- Burren subject. This highly popular series is Ireland. www.burrenbeo.com ties involved in the management of the Burren, seen as a great way to expand knowledge and as well as setting out future work priorities for to meet fellow Burren enthusiasts. Last year, over 900 individuals availed of these walks and talks. Everyone is welcome on these events so even if visiting for a weekend in the region, check out our website to see what is happening on our events list. When visiting the Burren, the Burrenbeo Trust Resource Centre is a great place to start; The Spring Genetian; one of the first of the Spring there are information boards and an introduc- bloomers and a important asset to the local economy. tory film on the Burren. It is also a handy place to pick up leaflets, factsheet, books and maps The Burrenbeo Trust is based in Kinvara– on the region, and grab a copy of Trust’s annual ‘The gateway to the Burren’- where it has an magazine Burren Insight (and other Heritage information centre and a ‘conservation café’. publications including Sherkin Comment!). The Trust is a membership charity with just This flagship, full-colour publication high- under 400 members and nearly 3000 individu- lights ongoing developments in the Burren als that subscribe to its work. This growing from a range of expert contributors. The centre regional, national and global community have also hosts the only conservation café in the signed up to be better informed and be part of Burren – which supports local producers where conserving this national heritage treasure. possible and all the proceeds go back into the A key focus of the Trust to date has been work of the Trust. This centre is ideal place to

The Burren healthy future relies on the continuity of traditional farming methods. 24 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 Woodlands (New Edition) By Oliver Rackham www.harpercollins.co.uk PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST ISBN: 978-0-00-731514-7 Price: £20.00 stg/2010 Drystone Walls of the Aran global climate and the role offsetting plays reader. Humans will always eagerly pur- Green & Gold This is a won- in its management. Kristina Hixon sue a goal they feel passionate about. The derful book on Islands: Exploring the Cultural troubling matter of global climate change Ireland a Clean Energy woodlands. In Landscape is one that concerns us all, and a goal we World Leader? twenty-two chap- Accounting for Sustainability: must all pursue until the very end. By Mary Laheen By John Travers ters the author Practical Insights Ian Lawrence covers various top- www.collinspress.ie www.collinspress.ie ics, including: Edited by Anthony Hopwood, Jeffrey Outline of Wood- ISBN: 978-1-84889-025-1 Unerman and Jessica Fries Bird Migration ISBN: 978-1-84889-043-5 land History; Price: €19.99/2010 www.earthscan.co.uk (Collins New Naturalist) Price: €14.99/2010 Archives of Wood- The Aran Islands This book has five ISBN: 978-1-84971-006-4 By Ian Newton land and How to are one of Ireland’s chapters: Energy is…, study them; Wild- richest cultural Price: £24.99 stg/2010 www.harpercollins.co.uk Fossil fuel’s fatal wood into Woodland; Some Less Familiar Accounting for landscapes, with a ISBN: 978-0-00-730732-6 flaws, Ireland’s vora- Properties of Trees: Roots, Partnerships, drystone-wall field Sustainability: Prac- cious thirst for energy, Longevity, Tree Rings, Sap-Sucking, Fire; boundary system tical Insights is a Price: £30.00 stg/2010 Drinking water from a Some Types of Woodland: Highland Zone made almost en- book that sets out to Bird Migration is fire hose: alternative and Ireland; Environment, Pathology and tirely by man. Any- assist businesses and Collins’ latest edi- energy options, and Ecology: Damage, Disease, Defoliation. one who visits these organisations to de- tion in the highly ac- Ireland’s opportunity. Within each chapter we learn so much. unique islands must velop a sustainable claimed New This final chapter For example in Uses of Wood and Timber wonder what it took to build these walls, thought-process in Naturalist series. highlights what can the author outlines what timber and especially without help from modern tools their approach to Printed in full colour be achieve in terms of renewable energy wooden artefacts reveal about trees, to cut the individual stones. We have their everyday busi- with a multitude of in the near term i.e. converting 20% of Ire- woodland and woodland management. beautiful stone walls here on Sherkin, but ness objectives. This descriptive figures land’s total energy needs to renewable What was most interesting was the ef- it’s hard to compare them to the sheer vol- is achieved through the use of detailed and pictures that il- sources by 2020. The economic prize for fect of diseases and pests on the world’s ume of stone walls on the Aran Islands. case studies involving established and lustrate the highly this achievement is in the region of €15 forests and savannahs. Globaling tree In the book, the author explores this well-respected organisations, such as BT informative narra- billion, with the potential to create 80,000 planting inevitably tends to globalise tree “cultural landscape”, which has been and EDF Energy, to show how sustainabil- tive. Bird Migration is clearly written with jobs. Examples are given where Germany diseases. It is impossible for customs to threatened by roadmaking, the developer ity can be integrated into an organisation’s a fluidity that runs from chapter to chap- has 280,000 people employed in renew- inspect millions of containers arriving an- and industrialised farming. The book is di- decision making framework, without im- ter. It gives a detailed and precise account able energy activities and the Danish nually. The World Trade Organisation will vided into five chapters: Cultural Land- pacting on performance or customer satis- of the extraordinary natural phenomenon windpower sector alone employs 28,000, not let the stable door be shut on this issue scape in Ireland, The Aran Islands – faction. of bird migration and is a pleasure to read. contributing €5.7 billion to their economy. until plant pathologists are quite certain Geology and Land Vision, Settlement and The ideas presented in the book are Based on a solid foundation of informa- The author lists the incentives needed that the horse has not been stolen. Landholding, A Closer Look, The Future. practical and common sense, and encom- tion compiled by scientist and amateur to attract companies to invest. It was fas- There are 210 beautiful photographs The author believes that there is ample ev- pass a broad range of businesses and alike this book answers questions such as cinating to read the piece on the building with drawings within this magnificent idence that a management strategy for the NGOs that would benefit from an estab- where do birds go or come from, how do of the Shannon Scheme at Ardnacrusha, book. The book is a must for everyone, es- islands could be developed from within lished procedure from which to implement they know when and where to travel, how which in 1925 was then the world’s largest pecially schools and libraries and not least the community, particularly if people were sustainability into their organisation. The do they find their way and why do they hydroelectric plant. This was an amazing a present for a friend with an interest in to realise that serious threats to the in- data presented in the book is significantly migrate at all. Describing the different achievement for Ireland, just four years nature. Matt Murphy tegrity of the island landscape exist. She detailed, especially in regards to detailing types of bird movements and migration after the War of Independence. Surely presents precise reasons for the protection the effects of accounting for sustainability patterns in depth, the book focuses on the with all the modern technology available Ireland’s Lighthouses of the characteristics of the drystone wall on established organisations, and does not processes of migration including the tim- to us, we can repeat that first success and field boundary system of the Aran Islands. shy from stating these impacts honestly. ing, energy needs, weather effects and produce our energy needs through wind, A Photo Essay This book is especially for anyone with a Dave Johnson navigation of migrant birds. The author ocean and solar power. If these can be By John Eagle love of islands. Matt Murphy explores the evolution and change in mi- properly developed, we could be a world gratory behaviour and the geographical leader in clean energy. The author puts his www.collinspress.ie The Power of Sustainable Handbook of Carbon Offset and ecological patterns that arise. Ian case superbly - the question that must be ISBN: 978-1-84889-024-4 Thinking: How to create a Newton provides an absorbing account of posed is, can Ireland deliver? This book is Programs: Trading Systems, bird migration and this book is a model of to be highly recommended. Price: €19.99/2010 positive future for the climate, Funds, Protocols and Standards scientific writing for the general reader. Matt Murphy Oh, what stun- the planet, your organisation Thomas Daguerre ning photographs By Anja Kollmuss, Michael Lazarus, and your life of Ireland’s 80 Carrie Lee, Maurice LeFranc and By Bob Doppelt lighthouses - so Clifford Polycarp many taken from www.earthscan.co.uk helicopter. My www.earthscan.co.uk SUBSCRIPTION FORM ISBN: 9781844075959 favourite is In- ISBN: 978-1-84407-929-2 ishtearaght Island, Price: £35.00 stg (hb)/2010 SHERKIN COMMENT is a quarterly publication of Sherkin Price: £39.99 stg (hb)/2010 off Co. Kerry, with The author’s main Current climate Island Marine Station aiming to promote the awareness of our the lighthouse and objective throughout change science has natural resources, their use and protection. buildings perched this book is to edu- indicated the need precariously on the edge of a cliff. The cate the reader about SUBSCRIPTION: to receive a year’s subscription to “Sherkin for a drastic reduc- most unusual photograph is an overhead how to shift personal € tion in greenhouse Comment”, please send a cheque or money order for 7.00 for shot of the Fastnet Rock. Each lighthouse thinking and behav- gas (GHG) emis- Ireland and £6.50stg for the U.K. (sterling cheques accepted from around Ireland is described with location, iours away from un- sions in order to € OSI discovery series, situation, how to get sustainable methods. UK); send 11.00 for Europe and the rest of the world (surface avoid unacceptable there and the lighthouse details: date when The initial chap- postage) – payable to Sherkin Comment, Sherkin Island Marine impacts to the future built, its structure, its elevation and the ters focus upon basic global environment Station, Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. Ireland. Tel: 028–20187 range that the light is visible in normal theory of climate and offsets have Fax: 028–20407 Email: [email protected] conditions. change and global processes. This deliv- therefore for a long time been viewed as What kept coming to my mind reading ers a concise and informative insight into an important constituent of climate change Please send a 1 year subscription – beginning with Issue No...... through this book, were firstly the men the environment in order to convey to the policy. that built the lighthouses – mostly in the reader the importance of future actions Please send a 2 year subscription – beginning with Issue No...... The Handbook of Carbon Offset Pro- 19th century, without any of the modern made by themselves and society. grams aims to provide a comprehensive machinery of today. Secondly, the great The author’s background knowledge of € review of existing GHG offset programs, I enclose cheque/postal order to the sum of ...... men who manned them (and their fami- psychology is also evident, describing and introduces the reader to carbon off- lies) – they indeed were the bravest of the how and why people are susceptible to sets, the mechanisms by which they func- Name ...... brave. short-sighted unsustainable ideology. tion and the successes and issues The gem of this book is John Eagle’s The author’s underlying motives are to Address ...... encountered by them. A wide range of introduction. He describes how his inter- alter people’s perceptions of sustainabil- programs have been covered – including ...... est in lighthouses began and the wonder- ity, developing better self-management, mandatory and voluntary systems, and ful encouragement he got from many and thereby providing greater protection those regulated governmentally or pri- Tel ...... Email Address ...... people. To quote “Ten and a half years in for the Earth’s resources. Sustainable vately. the making, hand to mouth most of the ethics is also considered to be a funda- Date ...... Signature ...... Whilst this handbook has been pro- time, bringing out six postcards [light- mental moral and political force in the duced primarily as a reference guide for STAFF: Editor, Matt Murphy; Editorial Assistant, Susan Murphy houses], selling them to make a further near future, with the author insisting upon regulators, policy makers and other parties six, and I would love to do it all again.” A far greater empathy towards current and Wickens; Typesetting, Susan Murphy Wickens; Publisher, Matt Murphy. with a working interest in carbon offset- wonderful book, especially for anyone subsequent generations. ISSN 0791–2447 © 2010 ting and its impact on climate change its who loves the sea. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, content and structure will be of interest to Sherkin Island Marine Station website: www.sherkinmarine.ie Matt Murphy this book aims to inspire and motivate the anyone concerned with the future of the SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______25 IS SHORT-TERM MONITORING SUFFICIENT?

This paper was presented by observations in the natural environ- This began in 1932 and still contin- Prof. Tony Fogg at the workshop ment, often for long periods. ues giving information, valuable and conference “The Importance One of the most famous examples particularly for fisheries, on the dis- of the Long-term Monitoring of of long-term monitoring is that tribution of plankton and fish eggs. the Environment” held by started in 1843 by Laws and Gilbert More modest marine monitoring has Sherkin Island Marine Station in the Broadbalk wheat field of what been carried out on shores. An exam- Courtesy of Robbie Murphy from 14th–19th September 2003 is now the Rothamsted Research ple of this is the survey carried out by on Sherkin Island, Co Cork, Ire- Institute in Hertfordshire, UK. The (the late) Dr Eifion Jones and his col- aim was to establish the sources of leagues on the shores of Anglesey land. The late Prof. Fogg was a the nutrients required in plant over a period of years. Semiquanti- botanist and marine biologist and growth. Plots were treated with dif- tative observations of intertidal flora a noted lecturer. For 13 years he ferent mineral nutrients or manure and fauna were made monthly and chaired the scientific advisory and yields of wheat grain and straw, subjected to multivariate analysis. It committee of the British Antarctic as well as exhaustion of nutrients and was found that seasonal changes, Survey and wrote two major effects of weather, were recorded. affecting almost all the shore life, works of Antarctic science. The Rothamsted had some pioneer statis- varied considerably from year to contributions of both himself and ticians who, using among other year. Variation between shores, even his son Timothy’s work in the things the Broadbalk data, intro- if close to each other, could be con- The late Prof.Tony Fogg at the Long-term Monitoring Workshop and Conference on Antarctic was commemorated in duced valuable new methods into the siderable and the structure of Sherkin Island, Co. Cork, Ireland, in 2003. the naming of the Fogg Highlands treatment of agricultural data in the communities appeared to be by no in Antarctica. Prof. Tony Fogg 1930s. The Broadbalk experiment means entirely explicable in terms of Adjusting annual cycles of solar information on weather and ice died in 2005 age 85, following a still continues and the main results the floristic and faunistic patterns in radiation and temperatures to those movements that Mrs Thatcher o short illness, but his words are as are that yields from plots supplied the text books. Here the inadequacy found 19 South produced violent gave it an extra £9 million a year. relevant today as they were then. with artificial fertilizers and those of short-term surveys is very evident. and meaningless oscillations in the We were no longer insolvent. that had farmyard manure are the Long-term monitoring can be expen- graphs. · The BAS scientists at Halley same and that below the level of 21 sive, often monotonous and I will finish with a tale of long- Station in the far south, By the late Prof. Tony Fogg inches of rain per year yield becomes occasionally a waste of time. If one term monitoring with which I had continuing to make ozone correlated with rainfall rather than is interested in changes in the past some connection. In 1973 there measurements with their This is a question which scientists sunshine. these disadvantages may not arise – began to be worries that gaseous dis- antiquated equipment, made the of the mid-nineteenth century may Outstanding long-term monitoring the miscellaneous particles and charges (e.g. chlorofluorocarbons) startling discovery in the spring well have pondered on. in the aquatic environment has been materials trapped in successive lay- from human activities might cause of 1984 of the 'ozone hole'. The One of the most famous and influ- carried out at the Windermere Labo- ers in marine and freshwater destruction of ozone in the upper U.S. satellite had apparently ential scientists at that time was ratory of the Freshwater Biological deposits, peat bogs and ice provide atmosphere and lead to penetration missed it. It had registered some Baron Alexander von Humboldt. A Association. This was initiated in records which can often be precisely of damaging amounts of ultraviolet 50 million ozone determinations man of considerable wealth, he went 1945 by Dr J.W.G. Lund, who con- dated and can yield an amazing vari- radiation to ground level. Systematic but the scientists were at a loss to below his social status to become a centrated on a diatom, Asterionella, ety of information covering monitoring of ozone had already know where to look amongst all scientist, an expert on geomagnet- abundant in the English Lake Dis- thousands of years. Pollen, diatom been started in two of the British this for something interesting. ism, geology and botany and a trict, accumulating detailed records frustules, remains of zooplankton Antarctic Survey (BAS) stations in Going over the raw data again pioneer in climatology, oceanogra- of changes in its numbers and factors and chemical constituents in its bot- 1957. In 1979 BAS, like many other they were chagrined to find the phy and biochemistry. He travelled likely to affect its growth. Eventu- tom deposits can give detailed scientific institutions, became des- ozone hole there as large as life. widely in South America. He saw ally, with the help of other workers, pictures of a lake's history and this in perately short of money and it The right people had been on the nature as a whole, that is, his data extending over half a century turn can be related to changes in cli- became necessary to charter research right spot at the right time and approach was holistic and his studies have become available. This has not mate, geological catastrophe and vessels as cargo ships and to consider BAS long-term monitoring had extended over wide areas and long only provided a model for other stud- human activities. Air bubbles trapped closing down one or more of the been completely vindicated. periods of time. One of his achieve- ies on plankton but has supplied in polar ice can tell us how air tem- Antarctic stations. Sir Vivian Fuchs, · NERC decided that it was not ments was to establish a network of invaluable information which has peratures have varied with when he was Director, had set up a going to tolerate this sort of thing magnetic observatories co-ordinated enabled water management to be car- concentrations of greenhouse gases Scientific Advisory Committee and and disbanded the Scientific to make observations at specified ried out with greater efficiency. Data in the atmosphere and indicate what the problems were duly referred to it. Advisory Committee replacing it times over long periods. This led to like this, obtained for a specific pur- the course of global warming may be There was one representative of the with a new committee made up important advances both in the pose, may be coupled with other data in the future. Present changes are not Natural Environment Research of members appointed by understanding of the earth's magnet- from separate contemporaneous so easily and precisely monitored. Council (NERC) and he, quite rea- headquarters. ism and its practical applications in studies of different phenomena with One attempt to short-cut is by math- sonably, pointed out that the Is short-term monitoring sufficient? navigation. Unfortunately for Hum- profitable results. Dr Glen George ematical modelling. Suppose, for atmospheric chemistry unit of BAS The answer to the question is no. boldt his work became has used Lund's data together with example, one needs to predict the had found very little change over 22 overshadowed by the precision, some from other lakes, including future growth and behaviour of years and was not doing any really According to Tony Fogg, he was beauty and commercial value of the Lough Leane, only forty miles from marine plankton in a given sea area exciting work. The U.S.A. had particularly fortunate – long burst of experimental work carried Sherkin, together with meteorologi- over a period of years. The growth recently sent up a satellite to make holidays on his grandparent's farm, out by scientists such as Faraday. measurements of concentrations of cal records to examine the effects of rates and responses to temperature, family friends and teachers who Their success with short-term reduc- various substances, including ozone, regional-scale variations in atmos- water movements, nutrient supply, were keen naturalists, at university tionist science swamped the holistic pheric circulation on plankton. He light intensity and its variations, pre- in the upper atmosphere and were distinguished botanists, ecologist and approach and those who wanted to has shown that the quasi-cyclic dation and so forth can be willing to pass on the data to BAS. get on confined themselves to the weather events influence the flux of determined in the laboratory and Therefore the atmospheric chemistry plant physiologists as professors and laboratory and neglected the envi- nutrients and thus phytoplankton expressed in mathematical equations. unit of BAS was superfluous and increasing links with the Antarctic ronment. They put aside the fact that dynamics. The feature known as the These can be assembled in a model could be closed down, the financial where he eventually stood on whereas replicable results can be North Atlantic Oscillation has the and environmental factors such as savings solving BAS's problems. Observation Hill by the cross in obtained under conditions of most marked effect on production in temperatures, tides, turbulence, daily Some members of the Committee memory of Scott and his companions adjusted and controlled temperature, the lakes. and seasonal variations in light can were reluctant to lose scientists and looked down the route they had pressure and concentrations, out in Turning to the sea, the most exten- be fed in and the computer predicts whom they knew to be of first class followed to the South Pole. Added to quality. Argument went on for two the environment these factors may be sive long-term monitoring is that plankton behaviour under the all this was a wife who loved variable and different with the partic- hours or so until I, as Chairman, felt based on continuous plankton expected conditions. This usually walking in the country and going to ular process being studied enmeshed we had to put the matter to the vote. records obtained with a sampler works reasonably well, the model the theatre. He managed to write a in a complex web of other processes, designed by the late Sir Alister Hardy producing graphs showing changes This came out as four in favour and so that the outcome might be quite and first used in the Southern Ocean with time which match approxi- four against. As Chairman I had a large number of scientific papers, different. Even biologists in those in 1926. The recorder is towed mately records obtained directly casting vote and, fearing greatly that which he said "have now, no doubt, times seemed to have preferred to be behind a ship, filtering out plankton from the environment. One such I was bankrupting BAS, I decided found their way to rubbish dumps; in the laboratory to dissect organisms as it moves through the water onto a mathematical simulation was con- that we should keep the unit. Three and eight books on plankton, and fit them into Darwin's theory of moving strip of silk gauze. These structed in great detail for things happened after this: photosynthesis and polar matters, evolution. Only agriculturalists and recorders have been towed systemat- Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, · The Falklands War broke out and which had excellent reviews but marine and freshwater scientists had ically by merchant ships and ocean U.S.A.) and seemed satisfactory until BAS was able to give the didn't make my fortune"! perforce to carry out experiments and weather ships in the North Atlantic. it was tested for other regions. Government so much help with 26 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 JUNIOR PAGES Ocean Climate Change Warming Waters . . .

A recent report by the Marine Institute shows that sea surface temperature around Ireland has increased by over half a degree Anchovy centigrade every ten years since 1994 and that the warmest sea temperatures over the last 150 years have been in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Pilchard Salmon Part of this recent increase can be linked to a natural rhythm in the ocean called The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. But the fact that we have recently witnessed the warmest sea water temperatures in the last 150 Sardine years may mean that other factors, such as global climate change, may be at work. Even small increases in sea temperature have an effect on the animals and plants that live there. Fish that prefer colder water (such as cod and salmon) tend to migrate northwards where the water is cooler. Meanwhile, Cod fish such as anchovy, pilchards, sardines and blue mouth, also migrate northwards into our waters from the south. Blue Mouth One potentially negative effect of these migrations is that snake pipefish, which resemble sand eels but which have a tough skin and are difficult for birds to eat, are showing up in Irish waters in greater numbers. This could result in seabirds such as Puffins trying to feed them to their chicks by Captain Cockle’s Log mistake. Copyright John Joyce 2010 Log onto www.captaincockle.com

Surf’s Up!

Another effect of climate change in the oceans is the increase in significant wave height (the average height of the highest one-third of all waves) off the south-west of Ireland by as much as 0.8 metres per ten years. While this might be great for surfers, it could be dangerous for other water users. The highest wave ever recorded anywhere in the world happened on the night of July 9th, 1958 when an earthquake at in innermost point of Lituya Bay in Alaska caused a tsunami. This monster wave then swept the entire length of the Bay, tearing away trees as high as 1,720 feet (524 metres) above sea level. The highest natural wave ever You can download the Marine Institute report “Irish Ocean Climate and recorded out at sea was only Ecosystem Status Report 2009” at 112 feet (34 metres) above http://www.marine.ie/NR/rdonlyres/E581708D-6269-4941-836F- sea level in a Pacific hurricane 6B012DD7A4BD/0/IrishOceanClimateandEcosystemStatusReport2009.pdf on February 6th, 1933. SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______27 MAKING BIRD FEEDERS Learn about birds with

Good feeders let birds feed in ways that match their natural way of feeding. Some birds use feeders often, others hardly ever use them. BirdWatch Ireland Making feeders work Feeding Wild Birds Leaflet You can make simple feeders from cardboard milk cartons or plastic drinks bottles. The picture Download this leaflet from the Learn about Birds below shows some ideas. section on BirdWatch Ireland’s website at www.birdwatchireland.ie Invent your own and use them for Learn how to identify the birds in your garden experiments on: with our Free Garden Bird Charts. Send a SAE to: BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, • Feeder Design Co. Wicklow. • How birds see things in Project 2 BirdWatch Ireland has over 10,000 members and has branches throughout the country which organise events and The way in... (Feeder Design) outings in your area. Why Design and make feeders which let birds reach the food in different ways. not get your school to To test them fairly, the food itself must be the same in all feeders join? Write to us or visit The feeders should be the same size and colour so that it is the design (the way to the food) that our website for details: is being tested. www.birdwatchireland.ie

Evaluating the feeders (Did they work?) • Did the birds actually use your feeders? BirdWatch Ireland has two educational web • Do different birds like different designs? sites, catering for learning about birds in schools. • Is the feeder they choose like their natural way of finding food? 0 • Which designs seem to be best for bird feeders? Visit the Working with Birds web site to learn about watching and feeding birds

Simply go to www.birdwatchireland.ie and go to AN EYE FOR COLOUR the ‘learn about birds’ section BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, (How Birds see things) Co. Wicklow. Tel: 01-2819878 Fax: 01-2819763 Experiments with bird feeders Email: [email protected] Design and make several feeders, all exactly the same. Paint each a different colour, or pattern of colours. To help you, think about the colours or Website: www.birdwatchireland.ie patterns that birds might see in the wild. Set the feeders up together in a place where you know birds will come. Use the same food in each one (this is to make sure that birds choose a feeder because of its colour and not for its design or the food it offers). Note down how many birds come to each feeder. Note down which birds use each feeder. Here is an example of the patterns and colours you could use. Try and invent some of your own:

Example of visits: Feeder 1 = 5 visits; Feeder 2 = 8 visits; Feeder 3 = 11 visits

Evaluating the feeders (Did they work?) • Were any colours or patterns more attractive to the birds? • Can you think of a reason for this? Courtesy of Birdwatch Ireland. • Did the birds avoid any of the colours or patterns? For further tips visit the Kids’ • How might this help them in their normal life? Zone at www.birdwatchireland 28 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50

Discovering the rocks in your local area

The Earth is a rocky planet, with a very hot iron core surrounded by a thick mantle, which in turn is surrounded by a thin crust. The geology we experience the most is the uppermost part of the Crust - a very thin layer that extends down less than 100km below the surface. The pattern of rocks we see on the surface of Ireland today shows rocks of very different ages lying side by side. The map on the left is a simplified geological map of Ireland, showing the age of some of these rocks. Why not colour it in to see which time period the rocks in your locality belong? Geologists use names for packages of time in the same way that archaeologists use the terms ‘Stone Age’, ‘Iron Age’ and ‘Bronze Age’. To learn more about these time periods, visit www.geoschol.com. The geological map of Ireland can be hard to absorb in one go. Why not break it down and find out about your county’s geology? In “Geology of Ireland: county by county” (see details below), you will find information on the geology of each county in Ireland - the area of the county, its geological highlights, the ages of the rocks, its geological history and more. These four-page descriptions of individual counties can also be downloaded from www.geoschol.com/ireland.html Sherkin Island is in Co Cork and if you look at the section on Cork you will see that the rock on Sherkin is mostly Devonian sandstone, which was formed between 415-360 million years ago.

Geology of Ireland: county by county

By Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, Matthew Parkes & Mike Simms Geoshol Books ISBN: 0-9521066-8-X Geoshol is a grouping comprising the Geological Museum, Trinity College, Dublin; the National Museum of Ireland; and the Ulster Museum. It aims to enhance the understanding of Ireland’s geological heritage through its publications and website (www.geoschol.com). Printed copies of “Geology of Ireland: county by county” are available from Dr Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, Department of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland, for €10.00 (inc. p&p within Ireland). Email: [email protected] SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______29 Water Conservation

Page 1 of 2 Water Worksheet 4 TEACHER’S SHEET

CLASS LEVEL: 1st & 2nd

CURRICULUM LINKS: SESE - SCIENCE - Living things, Environmental Awareness & Care. GEOGRAPHY - Human Environments, Natural Environments, Environmental Awareness & Care. ARTS EDUCATION - Visual Arts. MATHEMATICS - Data. Saving Water ENGLISH - Developing cognitive abilities through language, Emotional & imaginative development through language. We all need to use water, whether for drinking, washing or cooking. SPHE - Myself, Myself & Others, Myself and the wider world. We cannot avoid it. But we can all stop wasting water. This activity sheet gives children an idea of the importance of fresh, clean water to MATERIALS: each of us, how we need to protect this water and use it wisely. 6 plastic 1-litre bottles, toothbrush (Note: To increase the difficulty, the hints overleaf may be hidden before photocopying) PREPARATION: Graphing Data

TIPS FOR SAVING WATER ACTIVITY SECTION FURTHER DISCUSSION

Have a 5-minute shower instead of a bath. Ask everyone to pretend to brush Do you ever feel thirsty? their teeth. Put the plug in the sink Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. and let the tap running while they are doing this. Our bodies need water to (Turn the tap off if the sink fills before you finish!) survive. Your body is made Wash windows with a bucket and sponge This will demonstrate how much water is wasted up of ?% water. If we drank instead of a hose. each time a tap is left running while brushing your dirty water what could teeth. On average, waste 6 litres of water each time happen? Put the plug in the sink when washing they brush their teeth. To help save water in future, your hands, rather than running the tap. turn off the tap while you are brushing and turn it on Animals and plants also need again to rinse, or simply fill a glass of water. Bring in water to survive. Name some Fix leaks and dripping taps. 6 empty litre bottles and fill them with water. This will animals that live in water. help the children visualise the quantity. Collect rainwater to water the garden. Have you ever seen an animal Make a wordsearch using the words overleaf or the drinking water? Do just one thing each day to save water. activities in “Ask your Family” or a simple crossword. Where did they get this water? ASK YOUR FAMILY ACTIVITY NUMBER OF TIMES USED Where does the water you Make a list of all the ways in which water is drink come from? used at home. A list is provide below which Cooking 999 9 9 you can also add to. Brainstorm with the Drinking Where is the nearest children in the classroom to help add to this 999 9 9 9 9 collection of water to you? A list. Ask the children to take it home and, on Bath river, a lake, the sea, a pond. one of the days over a weekend, ask them to Shower take a survey of what they use water for in 9 If it was a river or lake could their home. Remember, they might not use Flushing the Toilet you drink that water or does Fill in the blanks the washing machine or cook the dinner 999 9 9 it need to be cleaned first? themselves, but their parents are doing it on Brushing your Teeth 9 with the help of 9 Is the sea fresh water or salt their behalf! They do not have to record the Washing Machine quantity of water they use, but more the 9 9 water? the boxes above: frequency. This will give them an idea of how Washing Car 9 vital water is in our every day lives. Can you drink salt water? 1. A shower uses less Watering Garden 99 What else do you use water water than a ______. Repeat the survey on a regular basis, to Cleaning Surfaces encourage the saving of water. 999 9 for? 2. Turn off the tap while Do you ever think about how you brush your ______. DATA SECTION ART SECTION much water you use? 3. Do not pour ______Use the data from the home survey Design a leaflet Are there ways you or your in “Ask your Family”. On the or poster that can family can reduce the amount or paint down the drain. blackboard make columns for each be brought home, of water you use? activity. (list these) Unexpected encouraging 4. Rubbish on the beach activities can be put in “Others”. members of the List the problems there would can harm ______and Ask each child to put a tick in the family to reduce be if your water supply was column where they noted activity at the amount of cut? other animals. home. Discuss the findings. Which activities did water they use in everyone tick? What are these activities so the home. 5. We need clean water to important? Was there any activity not ticked? Why ______. not, do you think? If you were trying to save Draw a picture of your house/school, without water, are there any of these activities that you the front wall, showing each room. Draw all 6. Use rainwater to water could stop? the appliances that use water. the ______.

Produced by Sherkin Island Marine Station for the Environmental Awareness & Research Unit, Cork County Environmental Awareness & Research Unit, Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Council under the Local Agenda 21 Partnership Fund, to support the Green School programme. Composed Cork County Council, Inniscarra, Co. Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel: 028-20187 7. We could not live and designed by Susan Murphy Wickens & Audrey Murphy, Sherkin Island Marine Station. Ireland. Tel: 021-4532700 Email: [email protected] www.sherkinmarine.ie www.naturesweb.ie without ______.

Copyright © 2007 Sherkin Island Marine Station and its licensors. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to educators to reproduce this worksheet for classroom or home use only, and provided copyright is included. 5. drink; 6. garden; 7. water. 7. garden; 6. drink; 5.

Download more water worksheets from the Cork County Council Website www.corkcoco.ie - Environmental Awareness Section - Youth - Latest Publications birds; 4. oil; 3. teeth; 2. bath; 1. Answers: 30 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 supporters, funders and staff for their efforts on behalf of the Award. After 15 years in Dublin 25-Year Celebrations Castle Gaisce – The Presi- dent’s Award moved to their new home at Ratra House in the Phoenix Park. The house has a great history. It was built in 1786 four years after the Vice Regal Lodge (Áras an Uachtaráin) and named Lit- tle Lodge. When Douglas Hyde ended his term as Presi- dent of Ireland he lived in the house and renamed the lodge

Images courtesy of Gaisce – The President’s Award The President’s Images courtesy of Gaisce – Ratra House. From 1950 to 2006 Ratra House was the home of the Civil Defence School. On the 6th of May that year a standing down cer- emony took place to mark their departure from the house to their new headquarters in Roscrea, Co Tipperary. Another exciting initiative that links into Gaisce’s anniversary celebrations is the launch of the Angels Beacon of Hope project. 52 fibre glass angels, standing at 2.4 metres, have been created. Artists, celebrities and sports people from across Ireland have been invited to paint an angel and add a personalised message. The angels are currently on tour around Ireland with an auction planned for Septem- ber 2010. Proceeds from the auction will go to three chari- ties, one of which is Gaisce – The President’s Award. All of the above initiatives are taking place alongside Gaisce’s remit of motivating, GAISCE – The President’s and participated in The Presi- the past twenty five years. to recognise the special quali- edition collector coins, show- inspiring and promoting Award, celebrates its 25th dent’s Award. We decided to In the course of their ties that the Awardees have casing the Gaisce logo, were Gaisce - The President’s anniversary this year and has organise a variety of activities Gaisce experience, partici- displayed. produced in conjunction with Award across Ireland includ- organised a range of exciting both to celebrate how far pants from all over Ireland set Gaisce’s success is due to the Central Bank and Finan- ing important development initiatives, from creating col- we’ve come over the last 25 themselves challenges to test the enthusiasm and hard work cial Services Authority of work in Northern Ireland. lector coins to auctioning fibre years but also to continue to their strengths, their of many - of the young people Ireland with 12,000 coins Continued co-operation glass angels, to promote and promote the benefits of partic- resilience, their courage and who present themselves for being sold to date. between Gaisce – The Presi- commemorate this important ipating in the Award their generosity. Their the challenge, of the Presi- Working with the horse rac- dent’s Award and the Duke of milestone. Programme.’ achievements include commu- dent’s Award leaders who ing industry, Gaisce organised Edinburgh’s Award means that Since it was established in Working in partnership nity and voluntary work, oversee each participant in a race day which was held in more young people than ever 1985, many young people with the An Post, a Gaisce – sporting and physical activi- the challenge, and of the May 2010. Alongside raising on the island of Ireland can be have participated in the Award The President’s Award stamp ties, personal skills and the Chair, Council and the dedi- funds to support the delivery reached through the Pro- Programme in Ireland with was produced. A first day excitement of an adventure cated teams at Gaisce’s offices of the Award Programme, the gramme. just under 17,000 (16.9% cover of the stamp was made journey. In the course of their throughout the country. I event was also used to enable increase on the previous year) available for sale which challenges, they tested their thank each of them for making apprentice jockeys to receive new registrations in 2009. included a message from Pres- limits, contributed to the fab- Gaisce what it is today and I their bronze awards, presented If you are interested in John T. Murphy, Director of ident McAleese. ric of their communities and look forward to many years of to them by Irish Jockey, entering for a Gaisce Award Development, has been ‘I am delighted to join with embarked on a journey of continued Gaisce success in Johnny Murtagh. please contact: Gaisce – The involved with Gaisce since its An Post in celebrating determined self-discovery that the future.’ Mary McAleese, President and Dr McAleese President’s Award, Ratra inception. He comments: Gaisce’s 25th anniversary cel- enables them to be truly active President of Ireland. hosted a Garden Party for House, North Road, Phoenix ‘We felt it was really impor- ebrations in 2010. The launch young citizens. Over the past The initiative was a Gaisce – The President’s Park, Dublin 8. Tel: 01-617 tant to mark the achievement of this stamp allows us to pay quarter of a century, youth resounding success with Award on the 1st of July 1999 / 01-670 7063. Email: of reaching our 25th birthday tribute to the thousands of services, educational estab- 250,000 of the limited edition where she celebrated the spe- [email protected] or check out and at the same time pay trib- young men and women who lishments and employers have stamps sold in the first 10 days. cial anniversary and thank their website: www.gaisce.ie ute to the thousands of young have completed the Gold, Sil- all learned to appreciate the Following on from this suc- everyone involved with people who have contributed ver and Bronze Awards over value of a Gaisce Award and cess gold and silver limited Gaisce, - PALs, participants,

Download a free and exciting newsletter for children, featuring interesting and informative news on nature Visit and the environment.

www.naturesweb.ie Produced by Sherkin Island Marine Station SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 ______31

The compass jellyfish can often be found washed up on beaches but care must be taken as it can sting with its 24 tentacles. There are also 4 long ‘frilly’ arms which make up the mouth. On the top of the umbrella-shaped body there are brown v-shaped markings.The most common time to find compass jellyfish around our coast is between July and September.

Colour: Creamy brown with dark brown markings. Size: Up to 30 cm in diameter. Habitat: Floats near the surface in shallow and deep waters. Diet: Worms and smaller jellyfish. Colour Me 32 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2010 Issue No 50 Mississippi River Invasive Species cent of their body weight per reproduction, black carp are The struggle to save the The electric grid idea day. They can grow to be over referred to as river rabbits in great Lakes from the carp seemed ideal as it allowed 5 feet in length and 100 pounds Australia. invasion has become a biolog- continued use of the water-

Courtesy of USGS or more in weight. Because Having pretty much ical, economic and legal battle ways by barges but created an they eat all types of plankton, accepted that the carp are here pitting resource managers area where carp appeared larval fish and shellfish are to stay in the Rivers, the battle against the carp and shipping unable or unwilling to pass. eaten. The loss of those very is to keep the fish out of the companies. The surest way of Good idea if the fish do not young individuals reduces the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes ensuring that the carp do not overcome their dislike of elec- numbers that might grow to cover more than 94,000 square get into the Lakes is to discon- tricity or the grids work all the adulthood. Their overall num- miles. Because Asian carp nect the lakes from the rivers time. Unfortunately, there is bers are declining. Silver carp reproduce in large numbers, Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) that the carp use. This has Murphy’s (Sods) first law: if are the “flying fish” and they grow and mature quickly, and proven to be an unacceptable something can go wrong, it tial crop that was cheap to eat plankton as well. However, feed on plant and animal By Michael Ludwig solution to shipping compa- will. Fish have been found raise and could compete with when startled or disturbed by plankton and adult mollusks nies that rely on those beyond the electric grids. catfish as a source of farm boat motors or other loud they could destroy the natural connections. So the States and IN a strange twist of events, Watch the struggle progress at reared protein. The four noises, silver carp jump from fisheries and environment of US Army Corps of Engineers fishing on the Mississippi, http://www.asiancarp.org/con- species of interest were; grass the water. Boats traveling the Lakes. The question is installed electric exclusion Illinois and DePlains Rivers tact.asp. carp [a.k.a. the White Amur] through the area run into the “what will be the impact of grids in the only waterways has become unsafe for fisher- airborne fish causing serious Asian carp to the Lakes? The (Ctenopharyngodon idella), that lead from the Mississippi men and outright dangerous injuries to humans and damage short answer today is it clearly bighead carp (Hypoph- River into the Great Lakes (see Michael Ludwig, OCC 35 for active water sports such as to boats. Black carp are unlike isn’t good. Aquatic invasive thalmichthys nobilis), silver below). These waterways are Corporate Drive, Trumbull, waterskiing or tubing. The bighead carp and silver carp. species are detrimental to carp (Hypophthalmichthys all located around Chicago. CT USA 068811. fish are fighting back and They eat adult mollusks, con- native aquatic ecosystems. molitrix), and black carp humans are losing the fight. suming up to 10 tons of them The potential impact of Asian But the threat of bodily harm (Mylopharyngodon piceus). over a lifetime. This species carp in the Great Lakes can be is nothing when compared to Three of the four species (big- can grow to be seven feet long seen within the Mississippi the likely and permanent head carp, silver carp, and and weigh over 150 pounds. River basin where they have destruction of the Rivers’ nat- black carp) are becoming a Fortunately, they do not jump displaced native species and ural ecosystems. What is the threat to native species. out of the water. They eat disrupted the natural ecosys- problem? Asian carp are tak- Escaped Asian Carp are now other species’ food! Of the tem. It is believed that they ing over the rivers. expanding their presence three species only black carp could alter the entire ecosys- Beginning in 1963, Asian throughout the Mississippi were accidentally introduced tem of the Great Lakes, carp were imported into the River watershed. The expan- into the waters of the US. destroying the very character US to control aquatic weed sion may not be stoppable, Someone misidentified them of those waters and creating growth that had become a nui- although a major effort is and thought they were the ecological and economic dam- sance in many rivers. The underway. more useful, grass carp. ages exceeding those caused aquaculture industry saw the Bighead carp eat plankton, Because of their voracious by the sea lamprey and zebra carp as a fast growing, poten- consuming up to twenty per- appetite and rapid rate of mussel invasions. Courtesy of USACE