SHERKIN COMMENT

Issue No. 54 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2012

Return to Turnstones Addressing the Licensing of Aquaculture Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, USA Mitigating the Threats Posed by Aquatic Oscar Merne highlights the remarkable Sites in Ireland Highlighting the role and responsibilities that Invasive Species migratory journeys of Turnstones from Matt Murphy poses questions on the issue to such an institution has to safeguard plant Joe Caffery on dealing with invasive species, Australia to Siberia. 3 the Dept. of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. 6 diversity & to educate the public. 15/16/17 one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. 20

INSIDE PORT OF CORK & The Environment

Page 5

An aerial view of Cork Harbour. Photograph  Port of Cork 2 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: The Bottled Water Dilemma ...... 2 Matt Murphy looks at the reasons why people might not have confidence in tap water. The Bottled Water Dilemma Return to Turnstones...... 3 Oscar Merne highlights the remarkable migratory notices in place in recent years and the the Water Services Authorities (19) are cur- journeys of Turnstones from Australia to Siberia. By Matt Murphy number of water supplies that were rently publishing some or all of these adversely effected by high rainfall events, drinking water quality data, as is required Into Tasmania’s Gordon River Wilderness ...... 4 IS BOTTLED water a fad, a necessity or may have all dented the general public’s by the Minister for the Environment’s cir- The pristine environment of this World Heritage a luxury? People are paying between 1,000 confidence in the quality of their tap water. cular on 20th July 2009. Area is explored by Anthony Toole. to 10,000 times more for bottled water than But do we really know why so many peo- Each local authority needs to become tap water and huge global multi-national Port of Cork & the Environment...... 5 ple are buying bottled water in this much more pro-active and provide up to companies are currently making billions of date information on the quality of their Outlining Port of Cork’s commitment to euros on water that they simply extract country? Should we find out and have the public water supply to the general public, minimising environmental impacts in the harbour. from the ground and bottle. reasons addressed? Who should do this? so that they can have confidence that the At present in the US there is growing Here in Ireland the authority that super- Addressing the Licensing of Aquaculture Sites in water they are drinking is safe. Indeed, all opposition to bottled water. The annual sta- vises our public drinking water supplies is Ireland...... 6 Local Authorities, the EPA and the Depart- tistics for bottled water in the US show $15 the Environmental Protection Agency Matt Murphy poses questions on the issue to the ment of the Environment should initiate a billion sales, with the average person (EPA). It has the power of enforcement to Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. national information and communications drinking 30 gallons (115 litres) of bottled ensure that action is taken where the qual- campaign to explain to the general public The International Gardeners ...... 8 water annually. There, 40% of bottle water ity of public drinking water is not up to where their water is coming from, how it is Daphne Pochin Mould looks at how world travel comes from public water supplies accord- standard. In its most recent report “Provi- treated and the testing that is undertaken on changed our gardens. ing to a National Resources Defense sion & Quality of Drinking Water in it to ensure that it meets the standards and Council Study. Some 90 US colleges and Ireland 2010” it states that each year it col- Who Needs NGOs? ...... 9 that it is perfectly safe to drink. universities have banned, or are about to lects and analyses over 250,000 Alex Kirby on the pros and cons of NGOs. Consumers should be encouraged to ban, the sale of bottled water on their cam- monitoring results from Water Services contact their local authority if they have A Slice of Nature Preserved in the Metropolis ...... 10 pus. They include the Universities of Authorities for all drinking water supplies. any concerns about their water quality and Walter Mugdan tells how New York City’s Udalls Washington, Vermont and Harvard School The safety of the water supplies is deter- this should be made easier by having a Cove Park is a haven preserved by volunteers. of Public Health. Some universities issue mined by comparing the results of drinking water section on the homepage of reusable bottles to students to fill their own monitoring tests carried out on 945 public BSc Botany has been discontinued in the UK ...... 11 all local authorities. Consumers might also from tap water sources on campus. At least water supplies, 671 group water schemes, gain confidence in the quality of their tap Mike Johnston asks if it possible to predict the 4 major US municipalities, New York, 497 private group water schemes and 1284 consequences of this event? Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago’s Cook small private supplies with the drinking water if local authorities and state bodies Lampriforme Fishes in Irish, NE Atlantic & County have banned the use of government water standards. installed tap source water fountains instead money to purchase bottled water. It also carried out audits of drinking of having bottled water in their premises. Mediterranean Seas...... 12 From an economical point alone this A report from Declan Quigley on a small order of The amount of crude oil needed annu- water treatment plants – 83 were carried out in 2010 and found improvements should be their approach, with the same bizarre marine fishes. ally to produce and transport the over 50 billion plastic bottles is 40 million barrels. across all key indicators examined, with applying to the private sector. Roaringwater Bay’s Smaller Islands ...... 13 This is enough to keep 1.5 million cars on the exception of source protection and One cannot deny that there is a need for John Akeroyd talks about the plant-life on some of the road for one year. Unfortunately, just reservoir security (e.g. river/lake pollu- bottled water in some instances, especially the small islands in the bay. 25% of these 50 billion empty bottles are tion), which were identified as areas for where there is an outbreak of E. coli or cryptosporidium in the water supply. It Ireland’s newest renewable energy source...... 14 recycled, with over 75% of them ending up further improvement. The report also points out that “source protection is the seems ludicrous to be paying for bottled Indaver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility in Co. Meath. in landfill, lakes, streams and oceans and take many years to decompose. first barrier for the protection of safe drink- water when clean tap water is freely avail- Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, USA ..15/16/17 The only country where bottled water ing water quality”. In 2010, the EPA issued able. Even when water charges are Highlighting the role and responsibilities that such consumption is declining is Australia, nine legally binding directions to seven introduced the difference in price will still an institution has to safeguard plant diversity. where the percentage of people drinking it local authorities that they must undertake be enormous. Cleaning up the Mess We Made ...... 18 has reduced from 26% in 2007 to 23% in proper security to improve the relevant 2011. A recent survey has also found that it public water supplies. Matt Murphy, Sherkin Island Marine The final part of Walter Mugdan’s three-part series is the younger age groups that are leading The report is critical in that only half of Station, Sherkin Island, Co Cork, Ireland. exploring ways of cleaning up toxic waste sites. the way by saying “no” to bottled water. Mitigating the Threats Posed by Aquatic Invasive Like in the US, some Australian colleges, Species ...... 20 universities and public buildings in towns SUBSCRIPTION FORM Joe Caffery on dealing with invasive species, one of have banned bottled water. the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. All that brings us to Ireland where bot- SHERKIN COMMENT is a environmental publication of Sherkin tled water consumption is increasing. The Lake Monitoring & Water Quality ...... 21 Island Marine Station, aiming to promote the awareness of our natural average person now drinks nearly 50 litres resources, their use and protection. Ruth Little on the EPA’s approach & objectives. of bottled water – much of which is Cork County Council’s Environmental Awareness imported into the country. The total sales SUBSCRIPTION: to receive a 4-issue subscription to “Sherkin € Strategy...... 22 have reached a staggering figure of over Comment”, please send a cheque or money order for 7.50 for Ireland Highlighting the Council’s work in this area. €300 million. and £7.00stg for the U.K. (sterling cheques accepted from UK); send For what reasons do people purchase €11.50 for Europe and the rest of the world (surface postage) – payable to Sustainable Rural Development ...... 23 bottled water when we are assured by the Sherkin Island Marine Station and sent to Sherkin Island Marine Station, Catherine McMullin gives her opinion on rural EPA and local authorities that our tap water planning. is safe to drink? There may be several rea- Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. Ireland. Tel: 028–20187 Fax: 028–20407 Email: [email protected] Publications of Interest ...... 24 sons for this, such as: • The poor taste of the water. Please send a 4-issue subscription – beginning with Issue No...... For the Safety of All ...... 25 • A fear of disease. A review of a photograph book featuring • The convenience, easy to carry around. Please send a 8-issue subscription – beginning with Issue No...... lighthouses and personnel around the country. • A lack of information from the local Captain Cockle’s Log ...... 26 authorities as to the quality of tap water. I enclose cheque/postal order to the sum of €...... • A lack of drinking fountains in public Birds & Weather ...... 27 Name ...... Mushrooms & Fungi ...... 28 areas. • Effective advertising by the major Address ...... Environmental Competition for Primary School bottled water companies. Children in Munster 2012 ...... 29 • A fear of pollution in rivers and lakes – ...... Some winning entries from this year’s competition. the source of most drinking water. Tel ...... Email Address ...... Gaisce – the President’s Award Continues to Thrive ..30 • A lack of confidence in the water Date ...... Signature ...... Colour In ...... 31 suppliers. • Fluoride in the water. Coastal Storm Surprises ...... 32 STAFF: Editor, Matt Murphy; Editorial Assistant, Susan Murphy Wickens; Typesetting, There is no doubt that incidents such as Susan Murphy Wickens; Publisher, Matt Murphy. ISSN 0791–2447 © 2012 Michael Ludwig on the havoc that coastal storms the Cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Galway can wreak on estuarine areas. City in 2007, the number of boil water Sherkin Island Marine Station website: www.sherkinmarine.ie SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______3 Return to Turnstones extends across Arctic regions though their ability to cross By Oscar Merne from Alaska to Baffin and the Pacific Ocean diagonally, Ellesmere Islands in the high with just one stop to rest and A COUPLE of years ago I Arctic of north-east Canada, feed, is truly amazing for a wrote an article for Sherkin northern Greenland, and from small migratory bird. Comment (Issue No. 50) on Norway to the Bering Straits From a small number of Advances in Marking Birds in eastern Siberia. The species recoveries of ringed birds it for Migration Studies. In this I breeds as far north as Svalbard appears that the Turnstones highlighted the remarkable (80º N) and as far south as the that occur in Ireland in winter migratory journeys of Turn- Baltic Sea and parts of Den- and on spring and autumn stones from south-east mark (55º S). The breeding migration come mainly from Australia to Siberia, via Tai- season starts about mid-May the populations breeding in wan, and back to Australia via and finishes about mid- northern Greenland and on Alaska and central Pacific August, with the majority Ellesmere Island in Canada. islands – a total of 27,000 km. laying and incubating their Some birds may come to Ire- I mentioned in the article that eggs and raising their chicks land from Scandinavia and the these Pacific Turnstones are in June and July, in the short Baltic coast too. When in Ire- the same species found around high-Arctic summer. The land Turnstones are the Irish coast during autumn, remainder of the year is spent exclusively coastal in distribu- winter and spring, and this on the wintering grounds and tion, and are found on both article now returns to Turn- undertaking the long migra- rocky shores and “soft” stones with more details about tory journeys between their shores, including estuaries Images courtesy of Cian Merne the birds in this part of the The latest estimate of Turnstones wintering in Ireland is c.25,000, from a “flyway” population of 100,000 – summering and wintering and saltmarshes. Our latest 200,000. world. areas. Turnstones are true estimate of numbers wintering The Turnstone is named globe-spanners, with large here is c.25,000 birds, from a and store body fat to keep scatter for the resident Mute electronic data-loggers, as Ruddy Turnstone in North numbers moving south in “flyway” population of them going for non-stop Swans. They will also scav- was done in Australia, would America, because of its ruddy autumn to Chile and 100,000–200,000. This fly- flights of up to 7,000 km on enge on dead fish and other tell us more about their move- plumage in the breeding sea- Argentina in South America, way population is the discrete some routes. Long-distance animals on the tideline, and ments between Canada/ son, and to distinguish it from the coasts of Africa as far as one that breeds in north-east migratory waders, including there is even a report of Turn- Greenland and western the Black Turnstone found on the Cape of Good Hope, and Canada and Greenland and Turnstones, are known to stones feeding on the facial Europe and Africa. the Pacific coast from Alaska to south-east Asia, Australia spends the winter on the increase their body weight by muscles of a dead human to Mexico. It is a Holarctic and New Zealand. So, the coasts of Europe, north-west 50% in just a few weeks of corpse! There is still much to Oscar Merne retired from breeder, i.e. found right movement of Turnstones and west Africa. intensive feeding before they learn about these fascinating Ireland’s National Parks & around the northern hemi- between south-east Australia To fuel their long-haul set off. They burn up all or small waders, and catching Wildlife Service in January most of this excess fat during some and fitting them with sphere in North America and and Siberia, mentioned above, migratory flights the Turn- 2004. Eurasia. Its breeding range may not be exceptional, stones must feed voraciously their long flights, and, in adverse conditions (e.g. strong head winds) can even survive by using their “reserve tank” of normal bodily fat. When you watch a flock of Turnstones on the shore the birds always seem to be feed- ing busily, mainly on small insects and their larvae, crus- taceans such as sand-hoppers, and shellfish, stopping only to rest for a while when the high tides cover their feeding grounds. Even then, oppor- tunistic birds sometimes continue feeding on dry land, as, for example, at Bray Har- bour near my home, where Turnstones are known to increase their body weight by 50% a few they eat bread that people weeks before setting off on their long-haul migratory flights.

In Ireland,Turnstones (here with Oystercatchers) are exclusively coastal in distribution and are found both on “soft” and rocky shores. 4 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Vigilance is still needed, these and succeeding years, By Anthony Toole however, as the threat of fire more than 130 ships were built THIS was a grim place. is ever present. The rains car- around Macquarie Harbour. Into Tasmania’s ried by the Roaring Forties Conditions for the prisoners Fragments of redbrick walls stood proud of the grass and winds help to minimise this were brutal, and many appeared to be struggling to risk, but not eliminate it. Trees attempted to escape, though hold back the encroaching for- such as Huon, King Billy and with little success, because of est. The stunning beauty of the Gordon River pencil pines are so slow-grow- the wildness and density of the surrounding pristine wilder- ing, that a major fire would all-encompassing forest. The ness seemed to be tempered destroy much of the forest most notorious escapee was by a silence, which sucked in beyond recovery. Irishman, Alexander Pearce, the sounds of the guide’s Wilderness As we followed the snaking who twice ran away with com- voice and the incessant bird- river, the atmosphere took on panions, resorting on both song. For this was Sarah more of the primordial. A occasions to murder and can- Island, site of the earliest, and wedge-tailed eagle flew across, nibalism in order to survive. perhaps most brutal of Tasma- and a flock of colourful rosel- Pearce’s story caught the nia’s penal settlements. las, while the piercing calls of imagination of Tasmanian I felt a little uncomfortable unseen currawongs ricocheted film maker, Jonathan auf der with the buffet I had just over the water, shattering a Heide, who made the enjoyed on the upper deck of silence that was becoming prizewinning film, Hell’s the luxury catamaran, Lady mysterious, almost hypnotic. Gates, as a graduation project Jane Franklin II: potato salad, At the northernmost reach while studying at Melbourne vegetable salad, smoked of a long loop in the river, University’s School of Film salmon, ocean trout, smoked about six miles from its and TV. He developed the wallaby, washed down by a mouth, the boat pulled in to a theme in the more recent pro- choice of beverage; an jetty, Heritage Landing, where duction, Van Diemen’s Land, extreme contrast to the fare of we disembarked for an up- which opened in Australian Alexander Pearce and other close view of the forest. A cinemas, to critical acclaim wooden boardwalk led us escapees from the prison, who and commercial success, in through the dense growth, in desperation, had resorted to September 2009. An earlier over mud flats dotted with the most gruesome of diets. film, The Last Testament of mounds that marked the Some five hours earlier, we Alexander Pearce, explored dwellings of the uniquely Tas- had sailed out of Strahan, the the same compelling story. tiny port at the northern tip of manian burrowing crayfish. Images courtesy of www.puretasmania.com.au Sarah Island closed as a A pademelon foraged in the Macquarie Harbour, Aus- Gordon River, where you can reach out and touch the temperate rainforests of the World Heritage Area. penal colony in 1833, the undergrowth. Farther on, a tralia’s largest, six times the remaining convicts being rare white-lipped snake lay size of Sydney’s, situated on through Hell’s Gates and took transferred to the much larger coiled on a fallen Huon pine, the west coast of Tasmania. a course along the south shore and now more famous, and The sky was overcast, with of Macquarie Harbour. The then slowly stretched itself better preserved, Port Arthur. mist hanging over the sur- hills above this shore were and slid into a darker crevice. The buildings of Sarah Island rounding hills, but a few less wooded with exposed The pine itself had been were allowed to crumble to encouraging patches of blue to crags. The button grass that estimated as 2400 years old, their present state of decay. the west. Our boat had fol- covered the hills leaked tan- and though it had fallen, was In recent years, Australia’s lowed a long curve, south nins into the water, staining it still growing and providing a convict history, once regarded swinging round to north-west, a dark brown, which was habitat for more than 140 as utterly shameful, which in and out through the narrow, churned up by the boat’s plant and animal species. most respects it was, has come rocky gap of Hell’s Gates into wake. The combination of Arriving back on board, we to be recognised for its impor- the Southern Ocean. fresh water in the upper layers were greeted by the lavish tance in the building of the To the north of the gap, and salt water beneath is ideal buffet, which was only the lat- waves broke over a broad for the farming of salmon and Lady Jane Franklin II going through Hell’s Gates, Strahan,Tasmania. est in our sequence of nation. Australians now sand spit, which ran on toward trout, in the numerous cages refreshments. Throughout the actively seek and proudly pro- coastal dunes. This sand once we passed, each holding up to afternoon, we had been con- claim the presence of a threatened to block the har- thirty thousand fish. tinually supplied with drinks, convict in their ancestry. This bour, a problem that was The boat continued, passing including champagne, and attitude should ensure that solved by the construction of Sarah Island for the first time, various tit-bits. This meal sites such as Sarah Island, the ‘training wall’, a long line and on to the mouth of the occupied our attentions while until now virtually unknown, of rocks just inside the mouth, Gordon River, where we we floated back downriver will take their rightful place in which channelled the tidal entered the Tasmanian Wilder- and across to Sarah Island for the telling of this history. currents so as to scour the ness World Heritage Area. our final excursion. Indeed this significance fulfils entrance without the need for Here, everything changed. Apart from the ruins, there one of the criteria for which constant dredging. The open freshness of Mac- was little to see. A sad, aban- the Tasmanian Wilderness Named by the convicts, quarie gave way to a sense doned atmosphere clung about claims World Heritage status. Hell’s Gates is the narrowest almost of claustrophobia. On the place. Broken walls, Dusk was approaching as harbour entrance in Australia, both sides, a dense forest Sarah Island, site of the earliest, and perhaps most brutal of mounds of grass covering we returned to Strahan, which Tasmania’s penal settlements. allowing the passage of ves- crowded down the steep hill- foundations. The original for- we reached at around 8 pm. sels no larger than 3000 sides to squeeze the river. The pine, has the longest lifespan Mount Taishan, in China, est had been cleared in 1822, The cruise had lasted a fasci- tonnes. Nevertheless, it was boat slowed, so as not to cre- of any organism on Earth. boasts as many criteria. This but fast-growing opportunist nating and thoroughly once a busy thoroughfare, car- ate a wake that might damage Specimens have been found pristine wilderness, which trees had now re-colonised the enjoyable six hours. We rying ships built in Strahan the pristine growth. The that are 3000 years old. Its encompasses one-fifth of Tas- space. A small number of strolled along the quiet street, from Huon pine, many of slopes were coated, without a wood rots with glacial slow- mania, is therefore almost Bennett’s wallabies had been back to the site of our camper- them laden with copper ores break, by countless variations ness, and it resists virtually all unique in the world, and brought onto the island, by the van. The falling darkness mined in nearby Queenstown. on the theme of green, repre- known marine borers. This, in hence extremely precious. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife enhanced the impression that Guarded by a lighthouse, senting trees with exotic the nineteenth century, made it But this was not always Service, to control the grass. we were clinging to a tiny Hell’s Gates was always dan- names like myrtle beech, one of the finest shipbuilding realised. In 1982, a proposal The only other animal life patch of human settlement, gerous, accounting for sixteen leatherwood, blackwood, pan- materials in the world. was made to dam the Franklin consisted of whip snakes and isolated by the sea to the west shipwrecks over the years. danus, tree fern and sassafras. The 1.38-million-hectare River, a tributary of the Gor- skinks, though birds like cur- and the pristine wilderness to The most poignant of these, in Many of these are found only Tasmanian Wilderness is one don, and flood huge areas of rawongs, black cockatoos and the east. It was a strange but 1907, involved the family of in Tasmania, having evolved of the few remaining temper- the forest. An unprecedented cormorants were common. not at all unpleasant sensation. the lighthouse keeper, who on the ancient super continent ate rainforests in the world. Its campaign by environmental- Numerous swallows swooped of Gondwanaland, becoming UNESCO World Heritage sta- ists was launched, which split watched helplessly as his wife low over the ground. Anthony Toole, 65, Cheswick and two children drowned, isolated when that landmass tus is supported by seven out families, put the State Govern- The penal settlement Drive, Gosforth, Newcastle while returning from a holiday fractured between 130 and of the ten criteria that govern ment at odds with the Federal opened here in 1821, and for on the SS Kawatiri. 160 million years ago. such classification, four of and went international. Even- the following twelve years, its upon Tyne, NE3 5DW, U.K. After a brief taste of the The most important tree is them natural and three cul- tually, the environmental case convicts worked from dawn to E. [email protected] comparative roughness of the the Huon pine, which after the tural. Of the 890 sites prevailed, and the rainforest dusk, cutting down the Huon W: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ Southern Ocean, we returned North American bristle-cone throughout the world, only was saved. pines and building ships. Over anthonytoole SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______5 Efficient waste management is criti- in the initiative which invited schools Entrance to Cork Harbour. cal in such a busy port, like Cork, to submit projects on the theme which sees over 3,000 vessels enter- ‘Ships, Steam Trains and Seaplanes – ing the harbour each year. A Cork Harbour Connection’. Each In the four years since the Port of participating class were given a boat Cork first introduced a Corporate tour of the harbour and a visit to the Social Responsibility Strategy, some Titanic Experience or the Cobh Her- key projects have been completed, itage Centre in recognition of their including the Port of Cork City work and to further develop their Marina. The Marina is ideally located knowledge of Cork Harbour and in the heart of Cork City offering 150 indeed, the Port of Cork. The winning metres of berthage with 24hr security, school, Crosshaven Boys National water, and electricity and refuse facili- School were treated to a visit onboard ties. This Marina is a long term the spectacular Caribbean Princess investment for the City of Cork which when she called to Cobh in May. The the Port of Cork implemented as part Port of Cork aims to continue to grow of their Leisure and Recreation Strat- the Schools Initiative and schools egy for Cork Harbour. The primary interested in participating in the proj- focus of the strategy is on water based ect can get involved by contacting the Leisure and Recreation activities in Port of Cork headquarters in Custom and around Cork Harbour in which the House. Port of Cork aims to play a leading role To ensure that the Port’s environ- in providing and supporting improve- mental policies and standards are ments of amenities in these areas. maintained and continuously devel- PORT OF CORK Cork Harbour offers significant opment across all the company’s potential for further development of locations and operations, every staff the marine recreation sector as an member is given environmental train- important source of enjoyment and ing upon joining the company and on & the Environment economic gain for the local residents a yearly basis thereafter. This is an and visitors. The Port of Cork, prima- integral element of the Port’s envi- rily providing commercial services to ronmental management system and By Sinead Kavanagh its customers, is conscious of its covers areas such as minimising responsibility to all other stakehold- emissions, minimising noise, manag- PORT OF CORK is the premier ers in Cork Harbour. ing resource consumption, promoting port on Ireland’s south coast offering In Cork, the world’s second largest sustainability and enhancing energy sheltered deepwater facilities close to natural harbour, it is critically impor- efficiency. The Port adopts a leader the main shipping lanes to Northern tant for both commercial and leisure to approach to these policies and works Europe, the Mediterranean and North work together in harmony. Other proj- closely with port users, tenants and America. The Port handles all six ects which the Port has been involved customers in promoting and monitor- shipping modes with annual traffic of in include the clean-up of the Sirius ing the implementation of systems to 10 million tonnes approximately. Garden in Passage West which was ensure all of the standards set by the Port of Cork is committed to the completed in 2010. Paving was used Port are being met. development of modern and efficient instead of grass, to allow for easier The Port of Cork continually systems, with the maintenance of an maintenance of the area and self- works to develop and improve its Environmental Management System draining methods were used to prevent environmental management systems identified as a key strategic challenge the garden from flooding. and will continue to respect the prin- which the port continuously strives to Any collected rain water, can now ciples of environmental achieve. As such, environmental man- be used to water the new plants in the sustainability. There are many other Aerial photograph of the Port of Cork premises in Custom House, Cork City, which agement is dealt with as a prime garden. The Sirius shaft was re- environmental issues within the Port also shows the merging of the North and South Channels of the River Lee. business consideration across all of our painted and Passage West Town that are constantly reviewed and operations. Port of Cork commits itself Council re-planted the garden. An updated and Port of Cork manage- to lead the wider port community to eye catching informative sign was ment is fully committed to minimise environmental impacts erected in the garden, on behalf of the maintaining the Port’s position as a through co-ordinated environmental Port of Cork, which offers walkers leader in environmental management management, respecting the principles and visitors to the garden an insight in the ports and harbours sector at of environmental sustainability. into the history of the Sirius European level and continue to set The Port of Cork is the only port in Steamship and its links with the area. new objectives across all port opera- Ireland with a dedicated cruise berth The Port has also significantly tions in order to achieve this. in Cobh. The Port can also handle invested in growing a Schools Initia- cruise liners in Ringaskiddy Deepwa- tive over the last seven years which is Sinead Kavanagh, Port of Cork ter Quay and the City Quays. The aimed to educate primary school chil- Company, Custom House Street, 2012 cruise season will see a total of dren in the harbour area of the Port’s Cork, Ireland. www.portofcork.ie 60 Cruise Liners visiting the port operations and functions. This year between April and November bring- alone, over 500 children participated ing over 100,000 passengers and crew to the region. With an average spend per in-transit passenger of approximately €73 per day, the cruise Tivoli Container Terminal, Port of Cork. business has a very positive impact for business in Cork and is estimated to create 197 full-time equivalent jobs. By bringing some of the world’s largest cruise liners to Cork, such as the Independence of the Seas and the Queen Mary, the cruise terminal in itself proves to be a popular tourist Windmills arriving in Cork. Ships docked at Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. attraction with crowds flocking to

Images courtesy of Port Cork Company Cobh to see these magnificent ves- sels. Waste from cruise liners, and all vessels that call to the Port, goes to Greenstar for disposal and recycling. Greenstar upgrades and trades a total of over 200,000 tonnes of recyclable materials annually such as cardboard, paper, plastic and metals and is the largest exporter of recyclable com- The Port of Cork City Marina. modities on the island of Ireland. The work vessel “Denis Murphy”. The Sirius Garden, Passage West, Co. Cork 6 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Addressing the Licensing of Aquaculture Sites in Ireland

MATT MURPHY, Editor of Sherkin Comment, put fifteen questions to the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine on the aquaculture industry in Ireland. From their responses, published here in full, it would appear that the EU Birds and Habitats Directives overshadow the re-issuing of over 500 licences, 95% of which are for mussels and oysters. In the light of the information supplied by the Department, a serious question does arise for industry. What conditions are in force for aquaculture licences in France and Spain? Is there a level playing field from Brussels for all countries in the EU? Solutions must be found and one wonders what they can be. With coastal villages and towns losing their young people by the thousands, our seas must surely play a part in creating much-needed employment.

Q: The aquaculture industry has for a licence can be renewed. This process is hugely number of years been very critical of the resource intensive and represents a major State in not addressing licensing of aqua- investment by the State to ensure the continued culture sites. Is this criticism fair? sustainable development of the aquaculture industry while maintaining the maximum pro- A: Applications for aquaculture operations tection for our coastal environment. are subject to the provisions of the 1997 Fish- To achieve this, the Department, in conjunc- eries (Amendment) Act. tion with the Marine Institute and the National In 2007 the European Court of Justice issued Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department a judgement against Ireland for breaches of EU of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has been Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy Birds and Habitats Directives. As most aqua- engaged in a major programme to gather the Mussel lines. culture activity takes place in areas designated necessary baseline data appropriate to the con- as Special Areas of Conservation and/or Spe- renewal applications to be appropriately culture into the future can only take place if servation objectives of aquaculture sites cial Protection Areas for birds ( known as assessed for the purpose of ensuring compli- there is full compliance with all EU and located within designated Natura areas. This Natura 2000 sites) it is necessary to undertake ance with the EU Birds and Habitats national legislation on environmental protec- comprehensive data collection programme an ‘Appropriate Assessment’ of the effects of Directives. Once the relevant data has been tion. Ireland’s reputation as a producer of top together with the setting of appropriate conser- aquaculture activity on these areas before any collected, conservation objectives for each site quality seafood is predicated on the implemen- vation objectives will enable all new and new licence can be issued or any existing are set by the National Parks and Wildlife Ser- tation of a sound regulatory system which has vice (NPWS). The establishment of these the confidence of the public in general and also conservation objectives by NPWS allows indi- the EU Commission. vidual licence applications to be assessed The state has rigorous systems in place for against the conservation objectives. This work the protection of the environment and the regu- is ongoing but a great deal of progress has latory authorities ensure that best practice been made to date. systems are rigorously enforced. The State’s monitoring protocols in relation to fish farms Q: Why has there been so little progress in are fully enforced and for example sea lice con- renewing over 500 such licences? trols are regarded as representing best practice A: The Department has been engaged in an internationally. extensive range of scientific, technical and pol- icy actions designed to eliminate the backlog of Q: The industry claims they cannot apply licence applications awaiting processing. This for capital grants to BIM because appli- backlog has built up over a long period of time cants must have a current aquaculture li- and arises due to the absolute need to achieve cence. Is this comment fair? full compliance with EU and national legisla- A: Applicants for a grant under the Commer- tion in relation to environmental protection. cial Aquaculture Development Scheme must have a full, valid aquaculture licence, i.e. the Q: How long will it take to address the period of validity of the licence must not have backlog? expired before funds are drawn down. A: A crucial factor in addressing the backlog is the availability of Appropriate Assessments Q: Can the Department confirm that for sites located in ‘Natura areas’. The first Castlemaine Harbour, Co. Kerry, and stages of the work plan agreed with the EU Roaringwater Bay, Co. Cork are at pres- Commission has focused, by necessity, on the ent their priority? If so, when will the li- collection of necessary benthic, ornithological cences in these two areas be and other data relevant to Natura sites. This renewed/issued? data is required for the development of Con- A: Both Castlemaine Harbour and Roaring- servation Objectives in those sites. This setting water Bay remain high on the list of priorities of Conservation Objectives allows the sites to for licensing determinations. Appropriate be appropriately assessed. In summary, the Assessments have been completed and the availability of Appropriate Assessments will licensing implications are currently being enable the progressive roll out of licensing examined by the Department. determinations in line with Natura obligations providing all other licensing requirements Q: Are there questions the Department have been met. need addressed by the industry in these two areas before licences are issued? Q: Does any fault lie with the aquaculture industry in holding up the issuing of new A: In arriving at a recommendation for Min- isterial decision, the Department will gather all or renewable licences? necessary information and in that regard ongo- A: It is important for all involved in the ing communication with relevant stakeholders, aquaculture industry to understand that the sus- including the applicants for licences, is an tainable development of the industry and the important feature. creation of long term employment from aqua- SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______7 Q: How many new and renewed licences • the new licence templates are also species ‘’(1) Where aquaculture in respect of which a were granted by the Department in each of specific. licence has been granted has not the last five years? Information seminars on the new licence commenced within two years after the date templates have been provided for the industry. A: Seventeen aquaculture licences were on which the licence was granted, the licence shall cease to have effect granted since 2007. Q: How is the Department going to ad- (2) Where aquaculture in respect of which a dress NATURA 2000 areas? Year Licence No. of Licences New/Renewal licence has been granted has ceased for a Granted A: See answer to questions 1, 2 and 3 above. continuous period of two years, the Minister 2008 1 New Q: What are the EIS requirements for new shall, without compensation to the licensee, 2009 6 1 New , 2 Trial revoke the licence.’’ & 3 Renewals and renewed licences? 2011 6 1 Renewal The Act also states: & 5 New A: Regulation 5 of the Aquaculture (Licence A licensee who considers that there are 2012 – to date 4 New Application) Regulations provides that it is exceptional circumstances why aquaculture Total 17 mandatory to submit an Environmental Impact has ceased or is likely to cease may apply to Q: I believe the Department has a new li- Statement (EIS) with the following applica- the Minister, giving those reasons, for a Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy cence template. When will it be launched? tions: determination not to revoke the licence. • An application for an Aquaculture Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) A: The new licence templates were launched Licence in respect of seawater salmonid Q: Can licences be transferred or sold? by Minister Coveney on 5th December 2011. trophic aquaculture. This means the farming of breeding installations. A: Licences may be assigned with the spe- The existing aquaculture licence templates plants and animals at different trophic levels, • Seawater fish breeding installations with cific prior approval of the Minister. have been comprehensively updated to make an output which would exceed 100 tonnes together in the one location, so as to maximise them ‘fit for purpose’ to meet the challenges per annum; Q: Is there an information pack available sustainability and minimise environmental and opportunities facing the industry. Signifi- • All fish breeding installations consisting for licence applicants? impact. It is envisaged that the production of Irish cant work has gone into devising this new of cage rearing in lakes; A: Information in relation to applying for an organic farmed salmon will be rapidly updated suite of licences, creating a balanced • All fish breeding installations upstream of aquaculture licence is available on the Depart- expanded by creating new fish farming produc- set of rights and obligations for the industry drinking water intakes; ments website www.agriculture.gov.ie and is tion areas in deeper waters. The placement of suited to the current era. Key features of the • Other freshwater fish breeding available on the following link: farms in deep waters will ensure that there is no licence templates include: installations which would exceed 1 http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/fisheries/aqua- • impact on Natura 2000 sites, no significant a move to Standing Stock Biomass for million smolts and with less than 1 cubic cultureforeshoremanagement/formsdownloads/ environmental or visual impact, no interference finfish as the means of measuring metre per second per 1 million smolts low (see “Aquaculture Licence Form” and “Aqua- with migratory salmonids, wild sea fisheries or production capacity at an aquaculture site; flow diluting water. culture Guidelines”). • enhanced provisions on environmental In the case of other applications the legisla- navigation or tourism interests. monitoring; tion requires the applicant to submit an Q: Finally, Minister Coveney in his public In relation to licensing in Natura areas, the • greater clarity on the requirements for environmental impact statement if it is consid- statements sees aquaculture growth as Appropriate Assessment process as agreed with operators in relation to operational ered that the proposed aquaculture is likely to crucial in the seafood component of the the EU commission is ongoing and steady conduct and monitoring; have significant effects on the environment. Food Harvest 2020 Strategy. Can this be progress is being made. • the possibility for the group-marking of achieved with the present licensing prob- sites for navigational purposes, Q: What is the situation with non-active li- lems? Department of Agriculture, Food and the • specific provisions covering company cences? Are they being revoked? A: There is great potential for all types of Marine, National Seafood Centre, registration/dissolution, tax certificates, A: Section 69 of the 1997 Fisheries (Amend- Clonakilty, Co. Cork. payment of fees etc; aquaculture including deep sea finfish farming, ment) Act states shellfish farming, and in the future, multi- http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/fisheries/ 8 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 The International Gardeners

another. We destroy it at our peril; with only sun and wind and heat/cold, we would be left with a dry waterless desert, growing nothing, sheltering nothing. Over grazing hill pastures can bare the mountains to naked rock, reck- less ploughing of thin but fertile soils, create dust bowls. Farmers and gardeners have learned how to grow and develop plants for our benefit and the world’s over long centuries. They planted herbs; monasteries and others had their physic gardens and prepared medicines from them: Botanic Gardens around the world are working to coltsfoot for coughs, foxglove and the heart, educate us, preserve endangered plant species and so on. Our synthetic medicines take origin and research climate change. from nature. 18th century farm discovery and research; a World exploration from the 16th century on modern botanist would have described the brought all sorts of new trees, plants, fruits and flowers and seed, putting the plant among its vegetables to Europe. New items included the nearest relations by using Linneaus’ great nam- potato, sugar, tobacco, cotton for fabric, coffee ing system. and tea and gardens grew up round the big The 18th century was one of new ideas, house and on big estates. The tower house, World exploration from the 16th century on brought all sorts of new trees, plants, fruits and vegetables to adventure, and discovery. Of poets, writers, Barry’s Court Castle in Co. Cork, has a garden Europe. artists, musicians: here are the roots not only of of plants being grown at the time. cabbages but of the sciences, geology, archae- People had always caged, kept a few wild They are less aware that life on earth depends ology, engineering, the steam engine at the By Daphne Pochin Mould animals, the origin of our zoological gardens. on plant life, from the great rainforests to the century’s end. The industrial revolution had Now it was the plants turn. From the great gar- little mosses, liverworts, lichens, water weeds begun, the horticultural one meant your garden dens of the big estates it was a short step to the MOST people like flowers and are pleased and the great sub-ocean seaweed beds. The could blaze with all the colours of the earth. public pleasure ground to the Botanic Garden, with a bunch of roses, or more costly, orchids. planet is covered in vegetation of one sort or If not in your ground, the splendour was to which received news of all the new plants, be seen and enjoyed in the Botanic Gardens in grew them if it could, and studied them – no Paris, in London (Kew), in Edinburgh, in photography, but careful drawings and paint- Dublin, in Glasgow. There was a world wide ings and dried specimens (the Herbarium). movement. You do not have to be a plants per- Long sea voyages with no ability to freeze son, or “green”, or a botanist to enjoy a Botanic things, did not help, but new plants got Garden, for they are beautiful places, ideal to through. New not only of exotica but of new stroll in. It does not matter if you do not know food plants, for the farm. a daisy from a dandelion. Just enjoy. But the The sciences are international and even dur- gardens are doing much work, preserving ing war men might correspond with each other. endangered plant species, researching climate On February 4, 1789, L’Abbe (priest) de Com- change, for we are now well aware that the merill from the Abbey of St Victor in Paris world is not a static place but one to be cared wrote to Dublin about the Mowing Cabbage of for and cherished. which he had been making trial under the Paris Our Glasnevin has come a long way from gardens supervision. The last winter had been mowing cabbages. In 2010, Glasnevin was the extremely cold and killed turnips wholesale but location of the 4th Global Botanic Garden Con- not the mowing cabbage. gress where the next moves in conservation He writes: “The plant is a sort of wild cab- worldwide were debated. Dr Peter Wyse Jack- bage that may be cut four, five, six times in the son became director of our national gardens year; each cut is as plentiful as trefoil or and said: “I believe I contributed to a new sense lucerne; we leave it afterwards for the winter. of self-confidence in Glasnevin, nationally and In about the month of February, it shoots and internationally. Ireland has a role it needs to be the leaves of it may then be cut. But in the proud of, and a sense of understanding among month of April it begins to grow up and send Irish people that this is a garden with a purpose, out stalks and bears its seed, which may be not just a park.” gathered in June. The first year, the cabbage In September 2011, another very famous does not send out stalks, its leaves appear to botanist, Peter Raven retired from the great arise immediately out of the ground, which Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, USA allows it to be cut for grass, it may also be dried and Dr Peter Wyse Jackson took his place. Dr for hay. Its leaves extend to ten, twelve, fifteen Matthew Jebb is the new man in Glasnevin. Ad inches in length, and six to eight inches broad. multos onnos. They do not have the bitter or herbaceous taste All his life Dr Peter has been fascinated by of other cabbages. It is also very agreeable for plants, their histories, uses and stories and has man during the whole year, and as fodder made this into a book of 300,000 words and equally good and plentiful for all kinds of cat- 300 pictures. It is making this into a book pub- tle.” (The 18th century called all the big farm lished jointly by Glasnevin and Missouri, the animals ‘cattle’, including horses. Cows are title is “Generous Nature: Irish Ethnobotany”. ‘horned cattle’.) Look out for it. He named the plant “Choux a Souche”. Dr Lettson of London had good reports of it from Ref: Irish Times: April 28th, 2012. Paddy Woodworth “A world from Wyse Jackson, our botanist in Missouri”. With Russia and from the West Indies but warns photo of Peter embracing a Round Island Bottle palm (Mau- “many of the London seedsmen impose the ritius). seed of the beet instead”. This is cutting edge SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______9 Who Needs NGOs?

But they usually have ple is the involvement of By Alex Kirby something else as well – their many NGOs in international own agenda. There’s nothing conferences and organisa- ONE of the first stories I wrong with that, so long as tions, for example at the wrote for BBC Radio News everyone acknowledges that meetings of the UN climate after becoming its environ- that’s the reality. NGOs are convention, the International ment correspondent in 1987 usually campaign groups, and Whaling Commission and was (as I remember to my the world would be the poorer undying shame) based on an CITES, the Convention on without them. But if you’re a NGO release. If you lived in International Trade in Endan- campaigner you have a mes- the Channel Islands, it said, gered Species. Good sage to convey, and that may you should eat tomatoes spar- intentions apart, none of these not always help people who ingly, because many were three bodies can yet claim to simply want information. grown on land fertilised with have gone far to achieve its As citizen journalism and local seaweed. And that had aims. Is that because the social media continue their probably been irradiated by NGOs have disrupted the gov- advance, one of the few discharges from the nearby ernments’ work? It’s likelier strengths the traditional media French nuclear reprocessing that most NGOs speak for the can still offer is flinty scepti- plant at Cap La Hague. people who can never get near cism. That’s by no means Was there a risk? Yes – a the conferences, and who limited to professional jour- very small one indeed. How want governments to tran- nalists, and we’re certainly probable was it that any Chan- scend their perceptions of not always as sceptical as we nel Islander would swallow a national interest. should be. But if we’re not dangerous dose of radio-activ- It’s misleading anyway to always prepared to test to ity? It was so improbable that treat NGOs as a homogeneous destruction any story we’re it was meaningless – as many mass. Most, agenda-driven as told, we’d really do everyone irate listeners pointed out, you they are, are scrupulous in would have to spend years a favour if we moved to jobs outside journalism where we seeking accuracy, though they eating unfeasibly large vary in achieving it. Some are quantities of tomatoes day in could do less harm. Many NGOs today are very large and powerful: at the and day out if you were to 2009 UN climate conference have the remotest cause for different from what they were a quarter of a century ago. in Copenhagen Greenpeace concern. I learnt fast that had 13 press officers meeting NGOs were not always reli- Charlie Kronick of Green- peace UK says: “We’re the demands of the 24-hour able guides. news cycle, while the Inter- A few years later an NGO campaigners, and we don’t governmental Panel on told me that several German pretend to be something we’re Climate Change had one. And energy companies wanted to not. That said, we’ve always NGOs (like journalists) can end their contracts with checked what we put in a highlight problems without British Nuclear Fuels Limited press release or a report, but offering solutions. Sure, many for the reprocessing of their now we do it with double, waste. A German Government triple or even quadruple the of us would like to leave the source confirmed the story to rigour we used to. These days, remaining oil beneath the me, and it ran on the main with dirty tricks and hacking sand or the ice where it is radio and TV evening bul- always a risk, we check our now. But we want our hospi- letins. Two days later BNFL stuff to within an inch of its tals to stay open and our threatened the BBC with legal life. The level of accuracy we homes to remain warm and action unless it retracted my hold ourselves to is now far welcoming. So something’s report, which – against my more robust.” got to give. urging – it did (the BNFL Rigorous NGOs, sceptical All told, I’m glad of the press office had told us shortly media, a well-informed public NGOs. If they didn’t exist, before the story went out that – isn’t that enough? Some- we’d have to invent them. I we clearly knew more about it times NGOs will spark a belong to several. But we than they did!). Some years debate. Take the Brent Spar, have to remember that we later I met the BNFL director the North Sea oil storage buoy exist for different reasons. who had rubbished the story. which Shell planned in 1995 PS: When BNFL forced the He told me: “If I had known to dump in the North Atlantic, BBC to broadcast its apology then what I know now, I provoking a determined for my report it scored a wouldn’t have criticised your Greenpeace campaign for it to resounding Pyrrhic victory. broadcast.” be dismantled on shore. The Corporation’s retraction The moral of this incident, Greenpeace was convinced it went out on the day when perhaps, is that journalists (and was right, but some knowl- news of a Royal separation environmental specialists, and edgeable experts disagreed. was leading the bulletins, so all of us) cannot afford to dis- Sometimes the most an NGO when the newsreader turned regard NGOs, because they can do is to focus attention on to my allegedly craven behav- an issue that would otherwise often know more than the rest iour the nation’s thoughts slip past unnoticed. That’s of us. It’s not surprising: they were stubbornly fixed else- concentrate effort and important. Sometimes, like where. It was almost enough resources on shining a light Friends of the Earth’s cam- to make you thank a higher into some obscure corners, and paign for a phase-out of providence. quite often they come up with ozone-destroying chemicals, facts which otherwise might it can go further, influencing remain hidden. Often they popular opinion and even Alex Kirby is a former BBC have real expertise which changing government policy. News environment deserves a wider audience. What does often worry peo- correspondent. 10 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 now bears her name. They commit- ted themselves to preserving the last remnants of undeveloped marsh and wooded uplands in the Udalls Cove watershed. Ms. Gareiss died in 2000, but she lived long enough to see the organization she founded achieve that goal. There is, however, still much to occupy those who have come after her. Aurora Pond itself was in dire need of restoration, having been Reforested park area – all trees planted by UCPC volunteers in early 1990s, now over 20–25' tall. nearly completely filled in with silt running down from the steep slopes around it. That project, costing over $1 million, was completed by the A Slice of Nature Preserved City in 2006. Since then, UCPC has invested nearly $200,000 in restora- tion projects throughout the park. Concrete rubble dumped decades Aurora Gareiss who was determined in the Metropolis that what remained of Udalls Cove ago has been carted away; countless should be conserved. tires have been dragged out of the waterways; alien species have been ducted a cleanup of the wetlands, By Walter Mugdan removed and replaced with native woods and shoreline. During the trees and shrubs; and footpaths have first cleanup seventeen car wrecks been laid out. A significant fraction NEW YORK CITY ... the images were hauled out, along with literally of the funding for these projects has that probably come to your mind are tons of other refuse. Fortunately, come through a series of grants from of towering sky scrapers, crowded those days are past. In recent years the State and City of New York, but and fast-paced city streets, and the the cleanup crews have been occu- much has also come from UCPC’s lights of Times Square. It is unlikely pied primarily with collecting the membership of about 200 families you’d envision a bucolic and thriving large quantity of mostly plastic and individuals. salt marsh with herons, egrets, king- refuse that floats in on the tides –

Images courtesy of Udalls Cove Preservation Committee UCPC promotes environmental fishers, ospreys, muskrats, and even flotsam tossed by careless people awareness and conservation educa- an occasional fox; or a pond with onto the city streets, from where it is tion among the young people of the frogs croaking and turtles basking in washed into the bay through storm community. The group makes pre- the sun. But that’s what you’d find if sewers. sentations in local schools and works you visited the Udalls Cove Park Though it is by no means a pristine with scouts and other youth organi- tucked up against the City’s north- wilderness, Udalls Cove Park is nev- Aurora Pond after restoration. zations, providing them with eastern border. ertheless a sparkling little reminder opportunities for community service The park is a narrow sliver of unde- to the efforts of the Udalls Cove acres of marsh not yet filled. The of the natural beauty that once pre- in an enjoyable, outdoor setting veloped land nestled between tracts of Preservation Committee (UCPC), a wooded uplands were being whittled vailed throughout the great where they can briefly forget they one- and two-family homes (some volunteer organization dedicated to away also, as development metropolis that is now New York live in one of the world’s largest modest and some rather grand). its preservation and restoration. encroached from all sides. And the City. And it serves, too, as a reminder cities. They have helped remove Udalls Cove is an inlet of Little Neck Since the first Europeans arrived, the few remaining acres of marsh and of what a small group of dedicated thousands of pounds of garbage; cut Bay, itself part of Long Island Sound. wetlands that surrounded much of woods had become dump sites, lit- and persistent individuals can vines that strangle trees; built paths At the head of the Cove is a salt marsh what is now New York City were tered with garbage, demolition debris achieve. and foot bridges; spread hundreds of of nearly 100 acres. Behind that gradually filled. Manhattan’s shore- and wrecked cars. cubic yards of wood chips on trails; Aurora Pond lies at the centre of line today is in some places hundreds Then one woman said, “Enough.” Walter Mugdan, President, Udalls and installed hundreds of feet of freshwater wetlands, bounded by of feet further out than when Henry Aurora Gareiss, a feisty, middle-aged Cove Preservation Committee, Inc., attractive split rail fences where the steep, wooded slopes. Gabler’s Creek Hudson first sailed here. resident whose home looked out on 251-31 42nd Avenue, Little Neck, park abuts local streets. runs down a ravine that extends By the 1950’s filling of the wet- Udalls Cove, determined that what And every spring since that first N.Y. 11363, USA. through half of the one mile long lands had reached the City’s remained should be conserved. On a meeting in 1970, UCPC has con- http://www.littleneck.net/udallscove/ park; it then flows through the pond, northeast corner. Scores of houses Saturday morning in April, 1970, on the salt marsh, and out to the cove. were built where just a few years ear- the occasion of America’s first Earth That this remnant of the natural lier salt hay had been growing. A golf Day, a dedicated group of residents world continues to exist at all is due course was to be built on the last assembled at the lovely pond that

Helping to install an osprey nesting platform near the shoreline. Ospreys building their nest on the platform two weeks later.

Work crew at annual cleanup. SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______11 BSc Botany has been discontinued in the UK

Botany in school and later. labuses define what is taught By Mike Furthermore, biodiversity at secondary school and they receives considerable public- do require more knowledge of Johnston ity. It is easy to believe there animal biology and of human should be a strong enthusiasm health and physiology rather THE last student to be for and wish to study, the than plants. Allegedly some awarded the BSc Botany extraordinary diversity of biology teachers favour, with degree by any University in plants on land and in water. disproportionate time and the UK will graduate in 2013. Indeed there is no lack of effort, the animal-life compo- Is it possible to predict the botanical research worldwide nents of the syllabus, but in consequences of this event? in universities, research insti- any case the real demand on a Moreover, should you ask tutions and commercial teacher today is to ensure suc- “Has Botany been lost from a organisations. Moreover, cess in examinations. It is University near me?” money is being found to open hazardous for even the most Many children in primary new research facilities, such enthusiastic teacher to depart school are just as interested in as The Sainsbury Laboratory, far from the syllabus. plants as in animals. Later, as University of Cambridge. A This brief article could have they move on from their first quotation from the web site of been entitled Death knell school it is common to find this 21st century institution is sounds for botany degrees but they favour animals, because apposite “Plants are the foun- that title is used by Sally Nex to them animals seem attrac- dation of virtually every who states the facts. (The tive and animals do things. In ecosystem and agricultural Garden January, 2012 page contrast, plants just grow, system on Earth”. 13). So my question is “Did flower and set seed! Of course The evidence is clear, the authorities make this deci- in time they do come to recog- plants are important! This fact sion to discontinue Botany on nise the primary role of plants is widely accepted and anyone a well thought out policy to Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy in the capture of energy and with access to the web can, replace an outworn subject?”. the importance of energy flow with care, become informed. In a press release one of the Wild Thyme – Thymus polytrichus among life on earth. However, There is a role here for advi- last universities to close the led to Botany being axed. Botany Degree in the UK World class research on plants the preference for animals sors and others to bring botany degree to new appli- Courses such as Plant Sci- (Sinead Drea. 2011, www.bio- today is driven by Geneticists, rather than plants remains. accurate facts on careers in cants said “Unfortunately, this ence, Plant Biology and others science.heacademy.ac.uk/jour Biochemists, Developmental Young people are engaged Botany to the attention of stu- year we had only one appli- do exist. Time will tell nal/vol17). Biologists and others as well by media stories of global dents of biology at an early cant and when you are down whether the word Plant will Can plant courses available as classically educated warming and by the facts on stage in their education so that to that level it questions the succeed in attracting appli- today train students with all Botanists. Without Botanists human population growth and they can make informed deci- viability of running the cants while in the past Botany the expertise needed in the will future research on plants the concomitant need for more sions. course, so sadly we will no failed, but surely, there is no future? I fear the fabulous suc- lack an essential input? food. In the study of plants There is a paradox: on the longer be offering botany as a ambiguity in the term Botany. cess of model systems (such like possible solutions to one hand a disinterest in degree subject”. Implicit in Therefore, perhaps more as Arabidopsis) could lead to Dr Mike Johnston, retired reducing carbon dioxide in the botany among students while this statement is the decision thought is needed on why stu- a loss of empathy for plant lecturer, formerly of the Dept atmosphere and to improve on the other a real need for to end teaching botany was dents choose other branches ecology, for field studies, for of Zoology, Aberystwyth, quality and quantity of food botanists. Is this accounted for due to one reason: few if any of biology. Fortunately, there plant taxonomy and a neglect Wales, UK. production. Logically, there- by an underlying educational applicants applied for botany. is an excellent article, avail- of the many groups of plants fore, there should be a deficiency, namely a bias in Lack of demand, rather than a able on the web on this that cannot be exploited for burgeoning of interest in the teaching of biology? Syl- review of professional need, subject. It is The end of the use in agriculture or medicine.

Please support Sherkin Island Marine Station’s publications, which help to fund its work. (see page 7) 12 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Mediterranean Dealfish Bianco et al., 2006; Bottaro et al., 2005), there is only one (unpub- (Trachipterus trachypterus) lished) record from NW European The Mediterranean Dealfish is a waters: September 2001, East Rock- Lampriforme Fishes in Irish, bathy-mesopelagic (100–600m) all Bank (560 20’N, 140 00’W), trawl species found worldwide in tropical 380m (Gordon Henderson, pers. and temperate waters. Although comm.). However, considering its adults (measuring up to 300cm), worldwide distribution, it is likely NE Atlantic & Mediterranean Seas juveniles and larvae have been that the species occurs in Irish off- recorded from the Mediterranean Sea shore waters. (Dulcic, 1996), the species has only 2003]. Recent genetic evidence sug- described in 1917, very few speci- been rarely recorded from as far Oarfish (Regalecus glesne) By Declan T. Quigley gests that the Tube-Eye may be more mens have been examined north as Portugal in the NE Atlantic The Oarfish, the longest of all closely related to the Gadiformes (maximum TL, 76cm) albeit these (Figueiredo et al., 2007; Farias et al., known bony fishes (Teleostei), OPAHS, Velifers, Tube-eyes, (Cods) rather than the Lampriformes have been discovered over a wide 2010). However, it is possible that reaching a length of up to 8m Crestfishes, Tapertails, Ribbonfishes (Miya et al., 2007). area of the Eastern North & South the species may occur further north- (Wheeler, 1969), is probably respon- & Oarfishes belong to a small order The Tube-Eye is an extremely Atlantic (from Spain & Portugal to wards. Dealfish are very fragile and sible for many anecdotal sea-serpent of bizarre marine fishes (Lampri- elongated fish; although its maxi- South Africa) and the Eastern invariably damaged when captured stories. Although the species is found formes) composed of 7 families, 12 mum body length (standard length – Pacific. When threatened, the species in nets. Indeed, T. trachypterus can genera and about 21 species. Six has the ability to eject a cloud of ink- only be reliably differentiated from families (excluding the Veliferidae), like fluid in order to confuse T. arcticus by using vertebral counts represented by 7 genera and 8 potential predators. [84–96 vs 99–102 respectively] species, have been recorded from the Dealfish (Figueiredo et al., 2007) and few, if NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas, any specimens from NW European including 5 species from UK waters (Trachipterus arcticus) waters have been examined in such but only 2 species from Irish waters The Dealfish is a bathy- detail. Image courtesy of www.wikipedia.org (Table 1). The Lampriformes are Tube-Eye (Stylephorus chordatus Shaw, mesopelagic (183–914m) species Image courtesy of Michael Kanzler characterized by having no true 1791) which appears to be confined to the Scalloped Ribbon Fish Oarfish (Regalecus glesne Ascanius, 1772) [Isla San Marcos, BCS Mexico, spines in the fins and a unique type North Atlantic; ranging from Nor- SL) is only c.32cm, it has a pair of (Zu cristatus) 01.09.2007] of protrusible upper jaw. way & Iceland southwards to Although the Scalloped Ribbon tail fin rays that triple its total length worldwide and generally considered Opah (Lampris guttatus) (TL) to c.90cm. Its eyes are tubular Fish is generally considered to be an oceanic meso-pelagic (0–800m) to be bathy-mesopelagic The Opah is a relatively large in shape, resembling a pair of binoc- (20–1000m), the vast majority of ulars. It also has a large tubular species with a worldwide distribu- (200cm TL & 275kg) oceanic epi- tion in tropical and temperate waters, specimens examined have been mesopelagic (100–500m) species mouth through which it sucks in sea- found stranded in shallow coastal water, enlarging its oral cavity by up records are relatively rare. Indeed, found worldwide in tropical and tem- outside of the Mediterranean, where waters. Despite occasional records perate waters. A closely related to 40 times its original size, expelling from both Icelandic and Norwegian

Image courtesy of Declan Quigley adults (up to 118cm), juveniles, lar- species, L. immaculata, appears to the water through the gills and leav- waters and >100 records from UK ing behind the microscopic copepods Dealfish (Trachipterus arcticus). vae & ova have occasionally been have a circumglobal distribution in recorded (Psomadakis et al., 2007; waters (primarily from the North Sea on which it feeds. In common with Madeira and from New York south- coast) [Hedley, 1997], it is surprising many other planktivorous fish, it wards to Florida. However, it has that the species has never been migrates vertically diurnally from been suggested that Western Atlantic recorded from Irish waters. deep to surface water layers in pur- populations may constitute a sepa- suit of its prey and like many other rate species (Robins et al., 1986). Commercial Exploitation species of Lampriforme fishes, it Prior to 1985, the species was of Lampriforme Fishes swims in a vertical position which regarded as rare in Irish waters The vast majority of Lampriforme probably minimizes capture opportu- (Nolan & Quigley, 1987) but since

Image courtesy of Declan Quigley species have no commercial value nities (hence their apparent rarity). Opah (Lampris guttatus) captured west then numerous specimens measuring either because they are rarely cap- of Slyne Head, August 1995. Crested Oarfish up to 300cm TL have been recorded tured and/or are generally considered from offshore waters, particularly as Image courtesy of Dr Soledad S. Garibay to be unpalatable. However, a few the sub-antarctic zone and the distri- (Lophotus lacepede) a by-catch in pelagic trawls (Quigley Scalloped Ribbonfish (Zu cristatus Bonelli, species are of minor commercial bution of both species overlap in the The Crested Oarfish is an oceanic et al.,1997b; Quigley & Flannery, 1819) [juvenile 29cm TL, 08.03.2007, Phillippines] importance as a seasonal by-catch in temperate waters of the southern bathy-mesopelagic (0–500m) species 2005 & 2008). some areas. Some species are used for hemisphere. Although the opah is still which is found worldwide albeit direct human consumption (e.g. Sail- regarded as scarce in Irish inshore rarely recorded. There are only a few fin Velifer Velifer hypselopterus and waters (<200m), in recent decades it records from the Mediterranean Sea Polka-dot Ribbonfish Desmodema has been discovered that the species dating from 1845 and only one polystricum in SE Asia & Opah in the is more frequent in its occurrence in record from the NE Atlantic (Portu- Pacific & Atlantic) while small quan- offshore waters (Quigley, 2001; gal) [Dulcic & Soldo, 2008]. The tities of other species are used in fish Quigley et al., 1997a). species attains a maximum TL of meal production (e.g. Dealfish in the 200cm. When threatened, the species Tube-Eye NE Atlantic). has the ability to eject a cloud of ink- Figure 1 summarizes annual (Stylephorus chordatus) like fluid in order to confuse global landings of Lampriforme The Tube-Eye is a bathy- potential predators. species. During 2010, Opah mesopelagic (300–800m) species Tapertail accounted for 86.7% of global land- which is mainly known from tropical ings; 79% was taken as a by-catch in and subtropical waters of the North (Radiicephalus elongatus) the North Pacific by USA long-line & South Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. The Tapertail is considered to be a vessels (Hawn et al., 2004). During There is only one record from the NE bathy-mesopelagic (250–600m) the same year, Dealfish accounted Atlantic (Scotland) [Quero et al., species. However, since it was first for 13.2% of global landings (64% during 2009); 80% was taken by Faroese vessels as a by-catch in the Blue Whiting (Micromesistus poutassou) pelagic fishery (Heino et al., 2007). During the late 1990s, small quantities of Oarfish were landed by New Zealand vessels.

Declan T. Quigley, Dingle Oceanworld (Mara Beo Teo), The Wood, Dingle, Co Kerry. Mobile: 087–6458485 Email: [email protected] SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______13 Roaringwater Bay’s smaller islands JOHN AKEROYD looks at some small islands around the Bay

WEST CORK is famous for its scenic indented coast and the panorama of “Carbery’s Hundred Isles”. Having been lucky enough to visit even the remotest and less visited islands scattered across Roar- ingwater Bay, in this series Images courtesy of Robbie Murphy I’ve tried to give readers of “Carbery’s Hundred Isles”: The islands of Roaringwater Bay and Long Goat Island, with Long Island in the distance. Sea Aster (Aster tripolium) Sherkin Comment a flavour of Island Bay. the Calfs, Skeams, Castle and Horse, and in the last issue grey Carboniferous shales, clover-like plant of cliffs and memoir of West Skeam farm and thus more eroded and coastal rocks and heaths, and life by Joseph O’Regan, who Long. Now I’ll say something low-lying. the large-fruited coastal vari- described a tough, isolated about some of the smallest The name Carthys comes ant of Curled Dock, its tall existence before the family islands, especially Goat and from Oileáin Uí Charthaigh brown spikes conspicuous in left in 1943. The O’Regans adjacent Little Goat, which lie (O’Carthy’s Island) – the late summer, which thrives on kept a few pigs, cows and in the north-western part of O’Carthys held lands in north- shingle strands and coastal chickens, and grew potatoes, the Bay, where it meets the The Carthy Islands. eastern Roaringwater Bay. rocks. roots, cereals and flax, but Atlantic Ocean, and the The islands, rocky but with Of these remote islands, West Skeam is somewhat Clear. All of these have some ger, which is little more than a Carthys group, which lies some shingle, are home to only Goat was ever inhabited. larger than Goat and has vegetation and are home to rocky bird roost. So, never exposed to the ocean between gulls and other sea-birds. The Remarkably one can still see deeper soil. Yet, like West sea-birds and visited by otters, miss any of those rare oppor- the Calfs and Long. Biologists vegetation includes shingle remains of a small farm and Skeam, Goat provides rough as well as supporting rocky tunities to land on even the from Sherkin Island Marine vegetation and coastal grass- its fields huddled in a slight heathy pasture, and seaside shores, even small shingle smallest islands in Roaring- Station have visited all these land, but consists mostly of hollow high up at the centre of rocks would have certainly beaches and, on Jeremiah’s, a water Bay – every visit may islands over three decades and strand communities and the eastern part of the island. have yielded shellfish and edi- miniature salt-marsh with yield something new. thus we’ve some knowledge patches of coarse nitrogen- It is vivid evidence of how ble dulse and carrageen fleshy, seawater-adapted of their marine animals and demanding weeds such as Ireland was once densely seaweeds. plants such as Glasswort, like John Akeroyd, who has been seaweeds, as well as their Hogweed and thistles that inhabited, and people farmed Other smaller islands or a tiny pale green Christmas remarkably well-developed visiting Roaringwater Bay thrive on the trampling and far into the hills and right island groups include the Cat- tree, and the elegant Sea Aster. since 1986, edited The Wild land flora. This last species, autumn- accumulated droppings of the down to the strands in West alogues, Jeremiah’s and Plants of Sherkin, Cape Goat, surrounded by steep birds. The exposed maritime Cork and elsewhere. The near- Quarantine, towards the more flowering and similar to the Clear and adjacent islands rugged cliffs and almost split nature of these small islands is est we have to knowing what sheltered head of the Bay, also Michaelmas daisies of gar- into two by the sea, rises to 32 emphasized by the vigorous life may have been like for a Badger off the west coast of dens, is more a plant of cliffs, of West Cork (1996) and m, about the same height as growth of Sea Radish, a floral hardy small-island farmer or Sherkin and Bird off the but one that favours small co-authored its Supplement the larger island of Long to speciality of the Roaringwater farming family is a 1994 north-east coast of Cape islands, even growing on Bad- (2011). the east. The vegetation is a Bay strands, its tangled mix of rock-dwelling plants, growth producing drifts of wind-cropped Atlantic heath pale yellow flowers in sum- that is brightly coloured in late mer. Sadly, none of these summer with dwarf gorse and islands have any other rare or heathers, and more rank vege- unusual plants, which would tation dominated by coarse be well protected by sheer iso- grass, bracken and Hogweed. lation! Little Goat is a sea-stack, a Unlike some smaller rocky bird roost with little islands towards the head of vegetation – although we’ve Roaringwater Bay, none of recorded 23 plants! Geologi- these outer small islands, so cally, like nearby Long and exposed to strong salt-laden other islands in Roaringwater winds, possesses trees. Shrubs Bay, Goat and Little Goat are too are almost absent, but for formed of hard purplish mud- low-growing Western Gorse stone rocks of the Castlehaven and prostrate Creeping Wil- Formation of Upper Devonian low on heathy ground on age (350 million years ago). Goat, while some Gorse By contrast, the four Carthys bushes occur on the Carthys. are built of younger, softer Other habitats, especially wet- lands and blown sand, present Number of plant on the larger islands and the species found on the mainland, are absent and asso- various islands ciated plants such as sedges are rare. Some plants adapted Goat 74 to severe coastal habitats Little Goat 23 occur on all of them: for Carthy 67 example, Thrift, Rock Sea- Catalogues 148 spurrey, Sea Campion Jeremiah’s 68 (apparently absent from the Quarantine 60 Badger 27 Carthys), the attractive pink- ish-flowered Kidney Vetch, a 14 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Ireland’s newest renewable energy source Indaver Waste-to-Energy Facility facility exports approximately burned out. The remaining residue is WTE actively diverts waste from 16MW of electricity, which is equiv- called bottom ash, which is ejected at landfills helping Ireland meet its alent to 20,000 homes or the the bottom of the combustion cham- Landfill Directive diversion targets. population of Navan. This facility is ber. The ferrous metals in the ash will It is also regarded as a recovery oper- also run by a majority (87%) of staff be extracted using large magnets and ation under the Waste Framework from the North East region, which sent for recycling. The remaining bot- Directive as it actively recovers means Carranstown is a local facility tom ash is non-hazardous and while it energy from waste. This energy run by local people. could be used in other applications recovery process assists Ireland in such as an aggregate in concrete or complying with this Directive. for road building, it is currently sent WTE contributes to reducing How it all Works to non hazardous landfill in Ireland. greenhouse gas emissions by divert- ing waste from landfills. WTE is also Reception Area a source of renewable energy by pro- On entering the facility, waste North East Region has all the ducing renewable and sustainable trucks make their way to the recep- electricity, replacing traditional fossil tion hall. Here the waste is offloaded pieces of the puzzle fuels and positively contributing to into large bunkers for storage. The air The North East is the first region

Images courtesy of Indaver our national energy security and sup- in the reception area and in the in the country to have the full set of ply. Finally, WTE is recognised as The Indaver waste-to-energy facility in Co. Meath. bunkers is maintained at a lower pres- infrastructure in place to deal with the most energy efficient way to treat sure than outside (negative pressure) household and commercial waste. residual municipal waste. facility in Duleek, Co. Meath is con- and this prevents odours escaping. This comprises bring banks, recy- By Maurice verting waste into energy and cling centres, mechanical treatment Combustion Chamber exporting it in the form of electricity facilities, compost facilities, landfills The cranes transfer the mixed What are the benefits of O’Callaghan to the national grid. and now one waste to energy plant. waste from the bunker to the furnace The Indaver facility in Meath has This means that the region has taken WTE to the wider economy? IRELAND’S first waste-to-energy ‘hopper’. Combustion takes place at been operating successfully as Ire- a sustainable approach in dealing WTE energy can contribute facility in Co. Meath has now been in temperatures of 850 – 1100oC, the land’s first large scale with its household waste by putting hugely to economic development operation for over a year. The facility temperature at which odorous gases waste-to-energy plant for 200,000 facilities in place to reduce depend- by providing a safe and cost effec- took over two and a half years to and all dioxins will be destroyed. tonnes of residual municipal waste ence on landfill. The benefit of this tive means of waste disposal. It is complete at a cost of €140 million, since 2011. An important element to Flue Gases infrastructure is that the North East not an economic luxury; it is an representing the largest ever single the facility however, is the recovery The combustion process produces region is helping Ireland meet its economic necessity. It is also a fun- investment in solid waste manage- of energy and its export from the site flue gas containing water vapour, environmental targets; reduce its damental part of a competitive, ment infrastructure in Ireland. This in the form of electricity. Beyond the nitrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen reliance on landfill, increasing the modern economy. facility uses the most advanced tech- extraction of energy from the boiler oxides, oxygen and particulate mat- generation of renewable energy and WTE facilities can deal with all nology available, processing over system, the infrastructure require- ter. Some of these compounds are the overall aim of reducing the types of waste, whether commercial 200,000 tonnes of waste each year ments for energy recovery involved harmful to health and therefore the effects of climate change from the or household. There are a number of and generating enough energy to fuel the building of an electricity substa- flue gas is thoroughly cleaned before waste sector. This established and specialised industries in Ireland 20,000 homes. tion on the site, a connecting it is discharged to the air. The flue working waste management solution which are particularly suited to WTE The Indaver group provides high- underground cable to the nearest sub- gas cleaning equipment of a modern is not only important for the reasons energy, such as the pharma-chemical quality, integrated solutions for station which was 4kms away in incineration plant is complex and can listed above, but also an essential sector. This sector is hugely impor- sustainable waste management Rathmullen, Co. Meath, a steam tur- take up about half of the space within element in attracting corporate tant to the Irish economy. It employs throughout Europe. Indaver operates bine and generator. the plant. investment into the region. over 50,000 people and exports over its Irish business from its head Energy from a waste-to-energy €50 billion in products annually. offices in Dun Laoghaire, logistics Electricity Generation facility is similar to a conventional Efficient and effective waste dis- office Cork and a hazardous waste A boiler converts the energy from coal/oil/peat power plant in that it Waste- to-Energy posal services are a key requirement facility in Dublin Port. In 2011, the the combustion into high pressure gives a steady, constant and pre- for all Irish businesses. WTE offers a Indaver group treated over 3.2 mil- steam. The combustion chamber is and EU Policy dictable supply of electricity. But it is real solution to business to dispose of lion tonnes of waste and had a surrounded by water tube walls, Waste-to-Energy (WTE) delivers a also similar to green electricity pro- their waste in an efficient and con- turnover of €500 million. which are heated by radiation from number of real and immediate bene- ducers such as wind/solar/wave in venient way. that it produces renewable electricity. the combustion. The hot flue gases fits which have the capacity to assist Renewable Energy Over 50% of the electricity is consid- release additional heat in additional Ireland meet its EU waste policy ered renewable electricity, which tube panels in the boiler. The steam commitments. Generation comes from the biomass fraction of goes into a turbine, which drives an While WTE is still somewhat new electric generator. to Ireland, it is accepted throughout Indaver Ireland Ltd has joined waste. This contributes to Ireland’s Europe as a highly effective and ben- other electricity generators such as security of energy supply and Bottom Ash eficial means of waste disposal and ESB and Bord Gais in the electricity decreases the amount of fossil fuel At the end of the incinerator the treatment. market. Indaver’s Waste-to-Energy needed in the country. The Meath solid waste has been completely

The control chair and window.

Control screens. A truck in the tipping hall. The booking in gate. SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______15 empower local populations to protect their natural resources, thus protecting the web of life—and the future. Although its research is car- ried out all over the globe, in St Louis, the Garden’s re- Missouri search headquarters is home to the Garden’s renowned herbarium and library. The Botanical Garden Science and Conservation di- vision offers excellent re- sources for researchers visiting from around the St Louis, USA world, including: • One of the world’s largest herbaria with over 6 million specimens. • An excellent botanical library with significant rare book holdings. Sorting plants into families and making preliminary identification to facilitate further study. • Living collections with more than 17,000 species plants in our collections. An- and varieties. other way is by promoting the • TROPICOS™, one of the planting of native species, ed- world’s largest botanical ucating about the risk of inva- Images courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden databases sive plants, and encouraging (www.tropicos.org). all home gardeners to “grow • Botanicus.org, one of the green” by composting, con- Image courtesy of Koraley Northen world’s largest digital serving water, and recycling. libraries with free and A central highlight of the improved access to Garden’s horticultural work is historic scientific The William T. Kemper centre literature. • The William L. Brown for Home Gardening at the centre for Plant Genetic Garden. It is the largest garden- Resources. ing information centre of its • The centre for kind in the U.S. The 8.5 acres Conservation and around the centre for Home Gardening consist of 23 resi- Dr Peter Wyse Jackson, Sustainable Development. President of the Missouri Shoenberg Temperate House (1990) at Missouri Botanical Garden. It features plants from five regions of the dentially scaled, landscaped world that share a “Mediterranean” climate: coastal California, the cape region of South Africa, the central Botanical Garden. coast of Chile, southern Australia, and the Mediterranean Sea basin. gardens filled with ideas for Horticulture home gardens. continue to be adversely af- In addition to promoting the fected by many of the choices By Peter Wyse Jackson & Liz Fathman study and preservation of bio- we make related to the food diversity around the world, Education we eat, the construction and IN September 2010, one of half-day journey on horseback at Washington University, as providing sites of beauty and Education is a major com- maintenance of our homes and us (PWJ) moved from Ireland, out of town. Riding westward the first director of the Gar- reflection is an essential part ponent of the Garden’s pro- buildings, the products we from the National Botanic through marshy ground, past den. To this day, the Garden’s of the Garden’s mission, and grammes. Garden educators produce and consume, and the Gardens Glasnevin, to be- sinkholes and Indian burial director is always a botanist is a primary means by which teach on Garden grounds transportation methods we come President of the Mis- mounds, he came at last to a on the same faculty. we make connections between through scheduled classes, use. Within the St Louis re- souri Botanical Garden in St narrow path cutting through The Missouri Botanical Gar- people, plants, and the envi- drop-in programming, and gion, the Garden is a leader in Louis, U.S.A. As one of the brush, and found himself on den opened at a pivotal mo- ronment. Presenting land- themed educational displays. educating and demonstrating finest botanic gardens in the elevated ground overlooking a ment in history: 1859, the same scapes that are beautiful and They also offer field trips and sustainable lifestyle choices world, this invitation to head a prairie. “Uncultivated,” he year that Darwin’s On the Ori- restorative is essential to in- camp experiences at the Gar- that seek to minimize our cur- remarkable institution was a recorded, “without trees or gin of the Species was pub- spire in the public a love of den’s outstations: Shaw Na- rent and future impact on wonderful opportunity, a tes- fences, but covered with tall lished. From its inception, the nature. From this inspiration, ture Reserve, Butterfly House, plants, our local environment, tament too of the prestige and luxuriant grass, undulated by Garden was conceived as a the desire to grow plants, to and Litzsinger Road Ecology and the world at large. reputation of Ireland’s own the gentle breezes of spring.” place of research, learning, and cultivate a garden, can lead to centre. In addition, the Garden National Gardens. Shaw never forgot that piece knowledge. Today, the Gar- a more sustainable lifestyle. engages in teacher training Missouri Botanical Garden, This article describes the of land, and resolved to return den’s science and conservation The Garden’s Horticulture Di- through workshops and 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, work, facilities and collec- to it after making his fortune work worldwide plays a major vision actively promotes bio- classes, a resource centre and MO 63110, USA. tions of the Missouri Botani- in the bustling dynamo of role in supporting the achieve- diversity by cultivating and library, and MBGnet, an on- www.missouribotanicalgarden.org cal Garden. It highlights the boomtown St Louis. ment of major international showcasing historic, heir- line resource for teachers. important role and responsi- During a visit to plant conservation goals, such loom, rare, and endangered Plants and their ecosystems bility that such institutions Chatsworth in the UK in 1851 as the United Nations’ Global have to be effective centres Shaw conceived of building a Strategy for Plant Conserva- for safeguarding plant diver- botanical garden. From the tion... sity and raising public aware- beginning, he intended the ness of the fragility of our garden to be a place of beauty, environment, and how neces- but also of science, and sought Research and Plant sary it is for all of us to be its the advice of preeminent Conservation protectors. botanists of the day. The Missouri Botanical In June of 1859, the Mis- Garden operates the world’s souri Botanical Garden offi- most active research and con- History cially opened to the public. servation programme in tropi- The Missouri Botanical During the 30 years before his cal botany. Garden scientists Garden began life as a public death in 1889, Shaw expanded are documenting the world’s botanic garden, a place to and enhanced his gardens and dwindling flora, but discovery study and display plants. collections. Shaw also estab- and documentation are not Today, the 79 acre Garden is lished a school of botany at enough in the face of habitat the oldest botanical garden in Washington University in St destruction and global climate the United States and a world Louis in 1885. Upon his change. Missouri Botanical leader in botanical research. death, Shaw willed his Garden Garden researchers work to In the autumn of 1819, 19- to a board of trustees, who se- conserve plants around the year-old Henry Shaw, an Eng- lected Harvard-trained Dr. world. In addition, Garden-led lishman recently landed in the William Trelease, the first En- community-based programs Clockwise from left: Collecting in the field; A research trip to Páramo de Sumapaz, Colombia; river town of St Louis, took a gelmann Professor of Botany Tree measurement in Ecuador. 16 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______17 Missouri Botanical Garden ST LOUIS, USA

(see article on page 15) Images courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden

JAPANESE GARDEN – One of the most famous features of the Garden is CHINESE GARDEN – A highlight of the outdoor Garden is a Chinese garden, built in 1995. It is modelled on the its Japanese Garden. At 14 acres one of “scholar’s gardens” of the southern provinces of China, near Nanjing. It is said that a Chinese garden is built, not planted. the largest traditional Japanese gardens Architectural elements such as walls, pavilions, bridges, and pavings are of central importance, while plantings are used in North America, the Japanese Garden, sparingly. The garden commemorates the longstanding scientific and cultural exchanges between the Garden and Chinese or Seiwa-en (1977), the “garden of pure, botanical institutions. clear harmony and peace,” consists of gently rolling ground with a central lake. The garden was modelled on the chisen kaiyu-shiki, or “wet strolling garden,” a style developed by wealthy landowners of the late Edo period in 19th-century Japan. (Right: the garden in winter.)

THE LINNEAN HOUSE - One of the Garden’s most historic buildings is the Linnean Greenhouse, built in 1882. It is the oldest greenhouse in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. It is named in honour of the famed Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), the creator of the standard binomial (“two names”) system of naming plants and animals. His bust adorns the façade along with two prominent 19th-century botanists, Thomas Nuttall and Asa Gray.

CHILDREN’S GARDEN – Opened in 2006, the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden: A Missouri Adventure introduces THE CLIMATRON – One of youngsters at an impressionable the most recognizable icons of age to the significance of plants the Garden is the Climatron and nature in innovative ways. conservatory. It was the first Experiences in the Children’s geodesic dome to be used as a Garden revolve around the greenhouse. Built in 1960, the interdependence of all of nature structure, designed according to – humans, plants, insects, and the principles of R. Buckminster animals – in a variety of Fuller, rises 70 feet in the centre ecosystems. The ecosystems with no interior support, currently include a wetland, allowing more light and space prairie, woodland, pond, river, for the half-acre of tropical and cave, and are scattered plants within. along the four main paths of the The Climatron contains a lush Garden. lowland rain forest in a humid 85oF environment, complete with waterfalls, tropical birds, and some 2,800 plants. SHAW NATURE RESERVE – One of the most important parts of the Missouri Botanical Garden is its associated Shaw Highlights of the collection Nature Reserve. Located just 35 miles southwest of St. Louis at Gray Summit, Missouri, the Reserve has over 2,400 acres of include the cycads, primitive Ozark-border landscape and an extraordinary diversity of native plant and animal habitats. The Reserve focuses on native relatives of conifers dating to the habitat management and restoration: prescribed burning, correctly timed field mowing, selective thinning of woodlands, age of the dinosaurs. Some of the invasive species control, plant diversity enhancement, and reconstruction “from scratch” of prairies and wetlands. The Climatron cycads were exhibited Reserve offers 14 miles of hiking trails through a diversity of Ozark-border landscapes, including floodplain forest, upland at the 1904 World’s Fair held in woods, dolomite glades, tallgrass prairie, oak-hickory woodlands and savannas, and wetlands. Restoration of these habitats St Louis and are thought to be provides the Reserve’s visitors a uniquely varied experience of Missouri’s rich biological heritage. The reserve also includes close to 200 years old. 5-acre demonstration garden on native plant species. 18 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Cleaning up the Mess We Made

1 which acts to bind or immobilize the inorganic By Walter Mugdan Part 3 of a 3-Part Series chemical contaminants so they cannot leach or migrate into groundwater or the environment. IN my previous articles I’ve described how The soil is mixed with agents like fly ash, lime the chemical wastes created by the new or cement to create a solid underground block, endeavours spawned by the Industrial Revolu- preventing any contaminant leaching. This S/S tion were haphazardly discarded – often in the process can be performed either in-situ or ex- worst possible locations, thus creating thou- situ. S/S is generally not chosen for organic sands of dangerous, toxic waste sites across the contamination because of uncertainties about length and breadth of the developed world. its long-term effectiveness. Although not as During the 1960s and 1970s a new environ- common, soil washing can be used to remove mental consciousness arose, and people began to recognize the need to address these ticking inorganic contaminants in some cases. At a time bombs. That raised the novel question: large site in New Jersey, an innovative soil how does one clean up a toxic waste site? And washing process has been used to remove embedded within that question was another arsenic from sandy soil, allowing nearly 95% particularly difficult one to answer: how clean of the soil to be returned to the site clean. is clean … or, at least, clean enough? It is a Radiological Contamination: question on which people can and do differ Unfortunately, radiological contamination widely. (Consider the different standards of does not lend itself to any form of treatment, cleanliness that might be adopted by a teenage and the contaminants can remain toxic and dan- boy and his mother.) gerous for many thousands, millions or even Tasked by Congress to clean up the worst billions of years. As a result, radiological mate- toxic waste sites in the country, EPA had to rials must be removed via excavation and come up with guidelines to help develop the transported to a facility specifically developed answer, and over time these guidelines have and approved for such long-term disposal. become generally accepted. Here’s an impor- tant example: EPA requires that the remaining The Welsbach/General Gas Mantle Contamination Site, located along the Delaware River waterfront, New Excavation and off-site disposal is therefore the Jersey, USA. Two former incandescent gas mantle manufacturing facilities used the radioactive element selected remedy for such Superfund sites. or residual risk from a site after a Superfund thorium in their manufacturing process, which has contaminated the site. Part of the clean up involves cleanup has been completed should not exceed excavation and off-site disposal of radiologically contaminated soil and waste materials. Metal Contamination: one extra cancer death per 10,000 people into the contaminated soil and a vacuum Bioremediation can sometimes be used to (assuming all 10,000 would have a 70-year applied which causes the chemical contami- extract contaminants (typically metals such as lifetime of exposure to the site). That’s a very nants to evaporate. The vacuum draws the arsenic or lead) from soil. Fast growing plants small number, especially considering that chemical gases through carbon filters where such as ferns, or trees such as willows or about one out of every three or four Americans they are captured. At some point, the carbon is poplars, can draw the metals out of the ground; dies of cancer. EPA’s guidelines go further, and sent off-site for treatment or disposal. (For cer- the plants themselves must then be harvested state explicitly that the preferred outcome tain contaminants, it may be possible to use and disposed of at an appropriate, licensed dis- (called the “point of departure” when consider- “biofiltration” with microbes in place of carbon posal facility. ing the matter) is even more stringent: ideally, to treat the chemical off-gases.). A big advan- Under some circumstances, the chosen the residual cancer risk after cleanup will not tage of SVE is that it is performed in-place or approach to manage the risks from contami- exceed one extra death per 1 million people. in-situ and does not require excavation of the Once a cleanup target is set for a toxic waste nated soil is containment. In a containment contaminated soil. It uses far less energy than remedy, the goal is to isolate the contaminants site, one has to figure out how to get from here Images courtesy of US EPA either heat treatment process and is consider- to there. The engineering challenges can be Cleaning up of zinc and copper-contaminated in place, preventing humans or other organisms ably less expensive. even more difficult than the scientific and pol- sediments from the Iron Mountain Mine Superfund from being exposed to them. This approach is Some organic contaminants lend themselves icy questions. Approaches will vary depending Site, near Redding, California. typically used for large landfills and for some to bioremediation, involving the addition of on the contaminants present and what “media” contaminated sediment sites (described further ture incineration. Low temperature systems appropriate nutrients to enhance the activity of are contaminated – soil, groundwater or surface below). collect the chemical gases for further treat- microbes that can break down the contaminants water. ment; incinerators destroy the off-gases in a in the soil. This approach can be used where the Over the past three decades a variety of tech- high temperature after-burner. organic contaminants biodegrade over time to Groundwater Contamination niques have been developed, providing SVE can be used if the chemical contami- non-toxic constituents. Groundwater remediation techniques have remediation professionals with a choice of nants will evaporate or volatilize easily and the evolved over the years. Early on, pump-and- “tools in the toolbox.” Following is a summary soil matrix has significant core space (e.g., Inorganic Contamination: treat remedies were almost exclusively chosen of some of the typical approaches used for var- sandy soil through which the vapours can move By far, the most common technique involves to clean up groundwater contaminated with ious classes of contaminants commonly found easily). For SVE, perforated pipes are driven solidification/stabilization (S/S) of the soil, both organic and inorganic chemicals. More at various kinds of toxic waste sites: recently, treatment techniques such as in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and in-situ biore- Soil Contamination mediation have been shown to be effective in The cleanup techniques utilized depend on dealing with certain kinds of contaminants. the nature of the soil contamination. A common And sometimes doing nothing is a satisfactory approach is excavation of the contaminated solution, allowing natural processes to carry soil, followed by off-site disposal at a secure, out the cleanup. licensed facility. This approach was used Pump and Treat Systems: extensively in the early days of the cleanup This involves installing extraction wells in program; since then other methods have contaminated aquifers and construction of a become available as a result of technical treatment plant to remove the contaminants. advances over the years, including: The contaminated groundwater is pumped Organic Contamination: from the wells, treated in the plants, and then For volatile organic contaminants such as either pumped back into the ground (aquifer TCE, PCE, benzene, toluene, xylene, etc., the recharge) or discharged to a nearby surface most common alternative cleanup techniques water body. A considerable number of these involve heat treatment and soil vapour extrac- extraction and treatment systems continue to tion (SVE). Both work on the principle of operate today, and may have to remain in oper- separating the organic chemicals from the soil ation for decades. Although pump-and-treat matrix by evaporating them, followed by cap- remedies may still be appropriate in some ture and treatment of the chemical gases or cases, other less expensive techniques are vapours. Heat treatment can be performed via The Libby Groundwater Superfund Site is located on the western edge of Libby, Montana, USA. A wood- being employed with increasing frequency. low temperature volatilization or high tempera- preserving operation contaminated the soil and the groundwater at the site with two wood preservatives. Among them are — SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______19 In-situ Technologies: Contaminated soil or sediment can also be Chemicals (for ISCO) or nutrients (for biore- “washed” with various chemicals to remove mediation) are pumped into the ground through the contaminants. Typically, about 80% of the wells, allowing the contaminants to be treated original volume ends up clean; the remaining in place. In an ISCO system the introduced 20% is where the contaminants are concen- chemicals react with the contaminants to form trated. This residual is generally sent to … you harmless or much less toxic compounds. In guessed it, a secure disposal facility. bioremediation, nutrients stimulate microbes Contaminated soil or sediment can also be which degrade the contaminants. treated with thermal destruction. The material is subjected to high heat in a furnace or kiln. Reactive permeable barriers: Organic contaminants like oil, benzene or RPBs are a newer, innovative method for toluene may be completely converted to essen- dealing with lower levels of groundwater con- tially harmless carbon dioxide and water tamination. In a typical installation, a vertical vapour. The chlorine atoms in common chlori- underground “wall” containing iron filings or nated compounds like TCE, PCE or PCBs will other reactive material is installed in the path of be captured in the air pollution control device a groundwater plume. As the contaminated and eventually disposed of in … yes, a secure groundwater passes through the wall, the disposal facility. organic chemicals react and are oxidized to Images courtesy of US EPA Sometimes, serendipitously, contaminants form harmless compounds. As a passive This site was the location of Brockton Gas Works, Brockton, Massachusetts, from 1989 to 1963.The can be treated with other chemicals so that the approach, RPBs offer potentially large cost potential for contamination meant it was designated a brownfield site, so it held little appeal for end product is completely non-toxic and may savings compared to more energy-consuming redevelopment. Following remedial activities and capping, the site was turned into a useful, renewable even have some commercial value. Regrettably, energy source with the installation of approximately 1,400 solar panels, providing 425 kilowatts of remedial technologies. electricity directly into the local grid each day. it is relatively rare that this is both chemically feasible and economically worthwhile. Monitored natural attenuation: closed landfill that has been capped. The cap disposed of in a secure facility; or, depending The point is: there is no “free lunch.” Once MNA is often a component of today’s needs to be maintained indefinitely; in many on the contaminants and the economics, it can created, it is very difficult to really get rid of a groundwater remedies. MNA (sometimes cases this means that trees cannot be allowed to be reconstituted by heating it to drive off the toxic chemical. Somewhere along the way referred to as Mother Nature’s way) can deal grow on the cap since their root systems could contaminants. The contaminants, now liberated there will very likely be a residue of the toxic with inorganic contaminants which attenuate or destroy its integrity. Golf courses have been from the GAC, can be passed through an after- contaminants that can only be dealt with by stick to soil or sandy particles in aquifers. It can built on top of some old landfills; and recently burner and – finally! – converted by placing it in a licensed hazardous waste land- also address lower-level or residual organic it has been recognized that closed landfills may combustion into less harmful compounds like fill. We are very good at creating toxic contamination (e.g., via biodegradation or even be excellent locations for solar energy installa- carbon dioxide and water vapour. But even at chemicals; but not so good at eliminating them. simple dilution). tions. The solar panels can be installed on top of this stage of the process some harmful air pol- 1Any opinions expressed herein are the authors the landfill, taking care that the installation lutants are formed (for example, from the own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the doesn’t damage the cap. Alternatively, there are chlorine atoms in the TCE and PCE). These, in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Landfills now plastic landfill caps that have photovoltaic turn, will typically be captured by an air pollu- Due to their large size – often covering cells built right into them; these kill two birds tion control device called a scrubber; and, of Walter Mugdan, Director, dozens of acres – as well as the typical comin- with one stone, acting both as an impermeable course, the scrubber waste may now be con- Emergency & Remedial Response Division, gling of wastes and contaminants, landfills barrier to prevent infiltration of rainwater, and taminated with hydrochloric acid, that gets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, containing toxic wastes are almost always as solar panels to generate electricity. neutralized by the addition of lime, forming a Region 2, New York City, New York, USA. remediated through some combination of con- sludge that is typically disposed of in … a October, 2011 tainment approaches. There is simply too much secure, licensed facility! material in a large landfill for it to be excavated Treatment Technologies and moved to another, better landfill. The pur- At the end of the day, many of our cleanup pose of a containment remedy is twofold – approaches don’t actually turn toxic wastes into first, to isolate the contaminants so that humans benign substances. Rather, they focus on man- and other organisms don’t come into contact aging contaminants so as to reduce or eliminate with them; and second, to keep the contami- risks to humans and other organisms from nants from 6migrating through the ground or exposure to the dangerous substances. Even if groundwater. contaminated soil or sediments are excavated Capping is almost always part of the contain- and transported to a secure, licensed, perma- ment system. Appropriate material is placed on nent disposal facility (a high-tech landfill), top of the landfill to prevent exposure and their toxicity has not been reduced – just relo- reduce the amount of rainwater that can perco- cated to a much safer and better managed late down through the landfill wastes and resting place. further contaminate groundwater below. Caps The same is true for a typical pump-and-treat can range from a very simple layer of a foot or system that rids groundwater of TCE, PCE or two of clean soil, to a complex, multi-layered similar common pollutants. The groundwater is system that includes a dense clay layer and an pumped to a treatment plant. There the water impermeable plastic layer to prevent any rain- may be passed through a stripper, in which air water from percolating down. Some landfills is bubbled through the water extracting the also require the installation of an underground organic chemicals in a gaseous form; these vertical wall around them to further inhibit the gasses then pass through a column of granular movement of contaminated groundwater away activated carbon (GAC — something like from the landfill. Such underground walls are ground up charcoal), which extracts the chemi- typically made by pouring a slurry of clay-like cals before the air is vented back outside. material into a deep trench; they are therefore Alternatively, or in addition, the water itself known as slurry walls. A leachate collection can be passed through a bed of GAC which and treatment system handles contaminated similarly extracts the chemicals leaving clean water drawn off from underneath and near the water to be discharged. Either way, the contam- edges of the landfill, preventing further migra- inants are now out of the water but in the GAC. tion of contaminants. From time-to-time, therefore, the GAC has to There is not much that can be done to reuse a be replaced. The spent GAC is itself then either

Please support Sherkin Island Marine Station’s publications, which help to fund its work. (see page 7) 20 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 be taken to disinfect field sampling equipment, angling tackle, boats or scuba diving gear that could act as vectors in the spread of invasive Mitigating the Threats species or harmful fish pathogens. A major biosecurity initiative undertaken by IFI in recent years has been the roll-out of a coordinated disinfection procedure for use at Posed by Aquatic freshwater angling competitions. Competitors are informed in advance of the event that they will be required to disinfect their angling nets, net carrier bags and waders before they can reg- Invasive Species ister for the competition. Marked disinfection bins, rinse bins and invasive species disposal bins are provided. Having disinfected their gear These include Topmouth gudgeon, zander, wide diversity of stakeholder groups through- the anglers are presented with a coded wrist By Dr Joe Caffery Killer shrimp, Signal crayfish, Creeping water out the country. These have been supported by band, which they present as proof of disinfec- primrose, Water pennywort, among others. the production of laminated identification cards tion at the competition desk. The feedback from What are invasive species and on a key ring. In addition, information articles anglers towards this initiative has been What is being done to stop the and scientific papers have been produced to extremely positive and it is anticipated that dis- what threat do they pose? introduction and spread of ensure the widest dissemination of information. infection will become an integral part of most Invasive species (synonym alien species) are It is clear that the public and stakeholder angling competitions in the future. IFI is cur- non-native species whose introduction and/or aquatic invasive species? rently exploring the possibility of having Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the lead groups are concerned with invasive species and spread threaten biological diversity or may are anxious to be involved in stopping their permanent disinfection facilities at key angling have other unforeseen impacts. It should be agency responsible for the control and manage- centres, although such facilities are present at ment of invasive riparian and aquatic species in introduction to and spread within the country. noted that not all non-native species are inva- Towards that end, IFI has made available a 24 only a few locations at present. sive and that many represent the life-blood of the Republic of Ireland. IFI works closely with It is in everyone’s interest to stop the intro- the National Parks and Wildlife Service hour, manned emergency number (1890 agriculture, forestry and other important 343724 or 1890 FISH 24) that can be used to duction and spread of invasive species and fish national industries. Others, however, can grow (NPWS) and Northern Ireland Environment directly report invasive species sightings. Addi- pathogens. IFI is to the fore in advancing biose- and proliferate unchecked and have the capac- Agency (NIEA) to coordinate its response to this tionally, an app for smart phones (both android curity initiatives that will promote responsible ity to cause considerable ecological, economic ever-growing threat. Additional funding to sup- angling and water-based recreational usage. and iPhone) has recently been launched by IFI. and even health damage in infested areas. Inva- port IFI in this effort has been sourced both However, without the assistance and coopera- This will aid users in the identification of inva- sive species represent one of the greatest nationally and from Europe. In this regard IFI tion of key stakeholders and the public, all of sive species and permit them to take threats to biodiversity worldwide, second only has been successful in receiving European fund- this effort will be for naught. The basic identi- georeferenced photographs that will immedi- to that caused by direct habitat destruction. ing through the Life+ (CAISIE, Mulkear and fication and reporting tools are available and ately be uploaded to the IFI server. The They also pose the greatest threat to fragile Duhallow) and Interreg (CIRB) Programmes. those interested are strongly urged to be watch- information so received will be reviewed, ecosystems, such as islands. Because rivers, In recent years IFI has commenced many ful for unusual and potentially invasive species uploaded onto the IFI species database and, if lakes and watercourses generally provide effi- biosecurity initiatives aimed at preventing the and to immediately report such sightings to IFI. the sighting is of something new or particularly cient conduits for the dispersal of many introduction and spread of invasive species and fish pathogens. Foremost among these has been worrying, will trigger an immediate on-site sur- invasive species, these habitats are particularly Dr Joe Caffrey, Senior Research Officer, the creation of awareness among key stake- vey by IFI staff. vulnerable to the spread of invasive species. Inland Fisheries Ireland, Swords Business The estimated damage from invasive species holders and the public at large regarding the A suite of biosecurity protocols has been Campus, Swords, Co. Dublin. worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion – or serious threats posed by invasive species and produced by IFI (www.fisheriesireland.ie). 5% of the global economy. An estimated $100 what measures can be taken to halt the advance These detail the correct procedures that should www.fisheriesireland.ie million is spent annually to control aquatic of these harmful organisms. To this end IFI has weeds that clog waterways and alter natural produced and widely disseminated informative ecosystems in the U.S. Controlling invasive literature (including calendars, information aquatic species and repairing the damage leaflets and posters species alerts) regarding caused by them costs European economies in the invasive species that are present in Ireland, excess of €12 billion each year. A recent report those that could invade in the near future. estimates that invasive species cost the British Advice concerning what to do if you encounter economy at least £1.7 billion annually. a potential invasive species and how to prevent the introduction and spread of these species is ‘High Impact’ Aquatic Invasive also provided. This literature is supported by Species in Ireland regularly updated and interactive websites (e.g. Aquatic invasive species represent a serious www.fisheriesireland.ie, www.caisie.ie) and problem in most countries worldwide, and Ire- through social media such as Twitter and Face- land is no exception. Being a small island on book. Traditional media outlets have also been the edge of Europe, Ireland has experienced utilized to spread the work and significant cov- fewer invasions by non-native species than erage for invasive species has been given by countries on mainland Europe. However, the written media, and local and national radio increasing globalisation is accelerating the rate and television. of non-native species introductions to Ireland, Signage that alerts the public to the presence as evidenced by the fact that most of the prob- of invasive species at a site or in an area, and lematic aquatic invasive species present in that presents information on the imminent Ireland today were introduced in the last 20 threat, is vital. IFI is currently erecting highly years. Indeed, some have been first recorded visible invasive species signs at infested sites here as recently as 2010. throughout the country and the reaction to these The aquatic non-native species that are most has been very positive. invasive and that currently represent the great- Education relating to invasive species is cru- est threat to biodiversity and commerce in cial and IFI has produced a diversity of Ireland (‘high impact species’) include the materials and initiatives to promote this. Some- fishes – chub and dace, the macroinvertebrates thing Fishy (www.somethingfishy.ie) is an – Asian clam, Zebra mussel, Chinese mitten education outreach programme, funded by IFI, crab and Bloody red shrimp, the riparian plants that promotes learning about fish and the envi- – Giant hogweed, Knotweed species (including ronment among primary school children. This Japanese, Giant and Bohemian) and Himalayan national curriculum programme currently fea- balsam, and the aquatic plants – Curly leaved tures a module on invasive species and is being waterweed, Nuttall’s waterweed, New Zealand well received by schools throughout the coun- pigmyweed, Parrot’s feather, Fringed water lily, try. The IFI website also supports an invasive and Water fern. Risk analyses would indicate species TV that presents video identification that a number of high impact invasive species for some of Ireland’s high impact invasive that have not yet been recorded in Ireland or species. To further aid in the identification and have only been recorded in very localised situa- control of invasive species, IFI scientists have tions could present serious environmental conducted ID training courses and given prac- hazards in the near future, if urgent action is not tical demonstrations on control methods (e.g. taken to halt their introduction and spread. www.faw.ie/himalayan-balsam-bash/) to a SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______21 Lake Monitoring & Water Quality

water quality and a number of By Ruth Little biological tools have been developed specifically for this Introduction purpose. These biological tools and the boundaries used Since the introduction of for the status classes have the Water Framework Direc- been compared with methods tive (WFD) in 2000, there has and boundaries used in other been a new approach taken to countries in Europe to ensure how lake water quality is their comparability. monitored in Ireland. Biologi- cal measurements of the plants and animals in each Assigning Status lake are now included in the Both the biology and chem-

Images courtesy of EPA monitoring programme, in istry are used to assess water addition to the traditional Derryclare Lake in Connemara. Classified at high status for all quality and assign status. The chemical, biological and morphological elements. chemical measurements, to concentrations of ammonia, Figure 1. The 222 lakes sampled as part of the WFD national lake give an overall picture of eco- dissolved oxygen, total phos- monitoring programme. logical status as opposed to phorus and the level of pH are just water quality. In order to zebra mussels or roach or if it recent decades as lakes indicative of pollution levels. meet the requirements of the they have significant alter- respond slowly to measures to Certain priority dangerous WFD, the Environmental Pro- ations at the outlets e.g. a dam reduce nutrient inputs. Phos- substances – pesticides and tection Agency (EPA) has or a weir. In such cases, high phates and nitrates remain the heavy metals are also moni- established a national lake status lakes will be down- main cause of pollution in tored to assess chemical monitoring programme and graded to good status. Irish lakes. Too much of these status. Diatoms and phyto- developed a series of biologi- In the period 2007 – 2009, nutrients leads to excessive plankton, microscopic algae cal tools and chemical 20 of the 222 lakes sampled growths of phytoplankton in found along the lake shore and standards to allow for the clas- were classified as being at the water. Excessive amounts in the water column, assess sification of lakes into five high status (Figure 2). Three of algae can turn a lake green status based on how sensitive status classes, High, Good, lakes at high status were – and being green is not good to pollution the species found Moderate, Poor and Bad. The downgraded to good status for lakes. A programme of in each lake are. Different objective of the WFD is to because of significant alter- measures has been drawn up measurements of the plant ensure that all lakes are of at ations to either their detailing a range of actions to Significant alterations to the lake outlet, such as this dam at community, for example, the least good status and that shorelines or their outflows. combat pollution with a view Accorrymore Lough in Mayo, results in an otherwise high status lake average depth at which plants lakes of high status do not Eighty five lakes were consid- to meeting the objectives of being downgraded to good status. can be found growing or the deteriorate. ered at good status and ninety the WFD. The main task fac- maximum depth of colonisa- two lakes at moderate status. ing catchment managers is to tion, are also used to assign Twenty five lakes were classi- reduce the amount of phos- status, as are the amount of National Lake fied as being in either poor or phorus, in particular, that fish present in a lake and the bad ecological status. flows into our lakes each year. Monitoring Programme species caught. The results of Overall, the EPA’s monitor- Nutrients from town sewage, Over two hundred lakes are the chemical and biological ing programme indicates that farming, septic tanks and currently sampled as part of assessments are combined to 47% of the lakes sampled are forestry have to be strictly the national lake monitoring produce overall ecological in high or good status, with controlled in order to improve programme (Figure 1). Most status. A “one-out-all-out” the majority, 38%, in the latter the ecology of our lakes. Any of the lakes are located west rule is used in that it is the category. 53% of the lakes actions taken to address river of the Shannon or in the bor- lowest status which assigns sampled were moderate status pollution are also the key to der counties reflecting the overall ecological status. High or worse and currently do not improving lake water quality natural distribution of lakes in status is dependent upon meet WFD requirements. as very few lakes have direct Ireland. The surveillance agreement among both bio- Lake water quality has discharges to them. monitoring lakes are used to logical and chemical scores. remained relatively static over measure long term trends in But if any single element is a An accumulated phytoplankton bloom on L. Cullaunhyeeda in Co. water quality while the opera- different status, then the over- Clare.This lake was classified as moderate ecological status for both tional monitoring lakes have all classification is based on biological and chemical elements. been identified as at risk of the lowest status recorded. Ruth Little, Environmental Protection Agency, John Moore failing to meet the require- Lakes cannot be at high status Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. www.epa.ie For more go to ments of the WFD. if they are infested with cer- http://www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/water/ The national lake monitor- tain invasive species such as ing programme began in 2007 and runs on a three year cycle. Water samples are collected from each lake at least four times a year and tested for a wide range of chemical parameters. As biological communities usually respond more slowly to gradual changes in their environment, the biological sampling is car- ried out once every three years, apart from phytoplank- ton which are sampled Submerged aquatic plants like these pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum) and water lobelia (Lobelia dortmanna) are used to assess the annually. Fish, aquatic plants, biological status of lakes. phytoplankton and benthic Figure 2: Final WFD Ecological Status based on (a) the percentage of lakes and (b) the percentage of lake diatoms are used to assess area surveyed assigned to each ecological status category. 22 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 CORK COUNTY COUNCIL’S Environmental Awareness Strategy By Mary Stack In light of Ireland’s recent ratification of the Aarhus Convention, which says that Case study 3: Swimming Pools the public, both present and future generations, have the right to know and to live The EARU has successfully greened the THE Environmental Awareness Strategy is a in a healthy environment, why is Cork County Council the only local authority Council’s swimming pools at Fermoy, Mallow, guide to the general public on key environmen- with a dedicated strategy? Cobh and Dunmanway and have also trained tal awareness issues being promoted in Cork numerous small businesses in waste preven- County and areas for their participation. It is tion, water conservation and diversion of food intended for internal use by Council staff and waste from landfill. its networking partners. The Environmental Awareness & Research Unit (EARU) manages Case study 4: Public offices & Buildings the implementation of this strategy. EARU provides assistance to public offices The Environmental Awareness Strategy and public buildings. From 2010–2011 an aspires to promote environmental awareness in awareness programme was run in east Cork. It all societies throughout all regions of Cork introduced environmental improvements in County. It desires to increase environmental Town Councils and libraries. Waste and water knowledge in the general public, and specifi- conservation audits underpinned the action at cally targets businesses, industry, educators, work and programmes were generated for each youth, community groups, and NGOs. building with staff trained and made aware of An increase in environmental awareness can their role in reducing the Council’s carbon foot- be achieved through a range of communica- print. tions and by supporting community actions and behavioural change programmes. Ultimately Case study 5: Blue Flag Marinas these actions will drive our society towards an Two privately owned marinas in Baltimore and ecologically sustainable life style and sustain- Sherkin Island, West Cork are piloting the able work practices. Local Authority Waste Prevention Programme The EARU has many case examples to sup- & Clean Marinas Initiative. The initiative, port the success of the programme and some of sponsored by the EPA and Cork County these are discussed here. Council, aims at introducing sustainable and The five year strategy (2011–2015) outlines best environmental practices for boat users. key areas of waste prevention, litter pollution, Through waste prevention, efficient use of water conservation and pollution, biodiversity nature’s resources and avoiding pollution users and climate change issues that require integra- can assist the marina owners to achieve Blue tion into education programmes. Flag status for Marinas. Many of the objectives proposed in the Envi- ronmental Awareness Strategy work in harmony with other Council policies and plans. Case study 6: Action at Work The strategy is driven by the Council’s priori- Since 2008, through the EARU, Cork ties as identified in the strategic and corporate County Council is to the fore in implementing plan, the Environment Directorates Operational sustainable practices both across its own organ- Plan and the Waste Management/ Litter Plans isation and in assisting local businesses. Cork and Climate Change Strategy. County Council has a strong commitment to Successful implementation will bring a pos- waste prevention and through its participation itive relationship between local government in the Network is well placed to meet any com- and civil society, a collective responsibility for mitments likely to arise from European and our environment and an ethic of partnership national polices. building. Citizens will be environmentally edu- cated, aware and conscious. People will care Case study 7: Coolagown Village for and protect their environment. Environmen- In 2009, Coolagown village near Fermoy in Co tal quality will improve in terms of air, water Cork, took part in a pilot project aimed at and land. reducing household waste. Assisted by the The Environment Directorates Strategic Pol- EARU, 22 householders in the village set out to icy Committees (SPC) requested this strategy reduce the amount of waste they were sending to give guidance and direction on environmen- to landfill, as well as conserve water and tal awareness for Cork Citizens. The Strategy energy in their normal day. promotes the involvement of citizens in envi- ronmental matters and thereby supports the Aarhus Convention. Case study 8: Green Schools Green-Schools is an international environ- mental education programme and award EXAMPLES OF CASE STUDIES scheme that promotes and acknowledges long- Images courtesy of Cork County Council From top left (clockwise): Helping Fota Wildlife Park reduce its carbon footprint; Environmental education term, whole-school action for the environment. Case study 1: Fota through play; Educating the public on composting at Fota Wildlife Park; Helping street traders to green the It promotes environmental management and Assisting Fota Wildlife Park in making the Midleton Food Festival; Supporting Tidy Town groups and other committees; Helping Coolagown village sustainable development education for schools. park environmentally sustainable in its day to near Fermoy, Co Cork, to reduce household waste; Greening Council swimming pools; Working with marina The approach is a combination of learning and owners to achieve Blue Flag status. day operations may not be an obvious assign- action for improving the environment of ment for a Cork County Council employee. welcomed, places a strain on this wonderful Midleton Tidy Towns, Cobh Tidy Towns & schools and their local communities. The pro- However, such actions are exactly what local natural habitat. Fota Wildlife Park is committed Cobh Regatta committees have successfully gramme influences the lives of young people, authorities encourage and support in the imple- to reducing its carbon footprint by reducing its greened their street festivals in 2010, 2011 and school staff, families and NGOs. The pro- mentation of their regional waste management energy, waste and water consumption in its day 2012. EARU provides consultation, advice, gramme is implemented by An Taisce with the plans. to day operations. It is a great example of how training and assistance to street traders, festival assistance and sponsorship of local authorities, Fota Wildlife Park is set on 70 acres on the the Council and business can work together organisers and local town council staff in such as Cork County Council. scenic Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour and improve our environment through sustain- preparation of their festival. It is all about – only 15 minutes from Cork City. Across the able tourism. world, zoos are being greened through reduc- selecting partnership models that can support Dr Mary Stack, Environmental Awareness ing the potential for any negative impacts on Case study 2: Tidy Town Groups/Festivals and compliment each others aims. We have a Officer, Cork County Council, Environment the local environment. As over 400,000 visitors Working with Tidy Towns groups. Commu- successful regatta, now can we run it in a sus- Directorate, Inniscarra, Co Cork, Ireland. visit every year, the public’s footfall, while nity groups such as Midleton Food Festival & tainable way. Tel: (021) 4532700 www.corkcoco.ie SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______23 Sustainable Rural Development ture, such as old customs, music and story- have no direct connection with it and work else- of the village and know the inhabitants. The By Catherine McMullin telling, were also studied and a belief developed where. Guidelines also recognised the importance of the that the true heritage of the Irish nation had The Planning Authority recognised that smaller towns and villages but, by encouraging THE ‘urban – rural’ divide is often quoted to been preserved in rural areas only. De Valera’s urban generated housing is very damaging, par- children of landowners to build on family lands, explain disagreements between town and coun- famous ‘comely maidens’ speech is an example ticularly in scenic areas. There are other issues an opportunity to revitalise the villages and sur- try dwellers over planning policies in particular. of the thinking of the time, with much emphasis also, e.g. the necessity for relatively large sites rounding area is being lost. Life in the open countryside is compared to city on rural areas and neglect of towns and villages. (min. 0.2 ha) to allow for on-site domestic The present situation is unsatisfactory from a living and it is not surprising that opinions are Indeed, up until the mid 20th century, it was felt waste treatment systems, like the septic tank. poles apart. However, comparing smaller towns planning point of view because there is no way that the smaller towns and villages had no eco- Much good agricultural land is being lost to of predicting where landowners will give sites to and villages with the open countryside shows nomic future and should be allowed to ‘die housing and it is becoming apparent in recent their children or where extra rural services, such much less of a divide. gracefully’. years that many treatment systems are defective as water, electricity and roads, need to be pro- Many people believe that towns and villages The introduction of the Planning Acts in 1963 and give rise to water pollution. vided in the future. If more people could be are ‘foreign’ to Ireland and not really part of our required local authorities to draw up Develop- The planners tried to limit permission for heritage. It is true many of our principal towns ment Plans for their areas, showing where houses to those who had a genuine need to live encouraged to settle in the villages, it would were founded by invaders, be they Normans or development could, or could not, take place. It in the countryside, such as working there, but strengthen them and make the loss of the school, Vikings, but quite a few began in the 7th cen- was realised that building houses in towns and this led to much opposition from rural organisa- post office, garda station etc. less likely. They tury as monastic sites, e.g. Cashel, villages was much more cost-effective than in tions. As a consequence, ‘Sustainable Rural would still be close to the family farm and their Clonmacnoise and Kildare. By the 11th century, the open countryside. Usually services, such as Housing Guidelines’ were issued in April 2005, relatives and friends but would have better many monasteries had developed paved streets water and electricity, were already in place, permitting persons with ‘family ties’ or ‘roots or access to services, including pubs and public and market places for local farmers to sell their while access to church, school, shops and pubs links to the local area’ to get planning permis- transport, not to mention job opportunities. produce. The Normans frequently built their reduced the need for private transport. sion for houses on family land. settlements beside these earlier monastic sites Meanwhile, in the open countryside, changes There are obviously benefits in permitting Bibliography At the time of the Famine, it was estimated were also taking place. Rural electrification people to build close to their workplace but, at F.H.A. Aalen, Kevin Whelan and Matthew Stout (Editors). that about 90% of the population lived in the allowed machinery to be used for jobs that were present, most of the permissions granted are to Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork University open countryside, compared to ca. 40% today. Press, 1997 done by manual labour previously. Tractors and family members who work a considerable dis- Patrick Shaffrey, The Irish Town, an approach to survival, The earlier editions of the Ordnance Survey other farm machines were introduced and tance away and use private transport, which is The O’Brien Press, Dublin, 1975. maps show that houses tended to be in groups. reduced the workload considerably. There was getting much more expensive and is unsustain- John Crowley & John Sheehan, (Editors). The Iveragh In the west of the country the ‘Rundale’ system no longer the need for a large workforce and able in the long term. It is claimed that they need Peninsula, a Cultural Atlas of the Ring of Kerry. Cork of farming developed after 1700, where farm many rural dwellers left the land to find jobs, to live on the family land so that local schools, University Press, 2009 Sustainable Rural Housing. Guidelines for Planning houses were in a cluster, called a clachan, with either in nearby towns or abroad. The result was GAA etc. can survive and revitalise the area. In Authorities. Dept. of the Environment, Heritage and fields radiating out from them. The clachans that the population in more remote areas began practice, these facilities are most likely to be Local Government. April 2005 were not villages in the normal sense, as they to drop significantly but rose dramatically in found in the nearest small town or village, which Urban Ireland, The Curriculum Development Unit, City of did not have shops, churches or other services areas close to towns and cities where jobs were is often suffering major population loss. Dublin Vocational Education Committee, Trinity for the rural dwellers. available. At the same time, many urban The official definition of a rural area used by College, Dublin. O’Brien Educational Ltd.1982 The Gaelic revival of the late 18th/early 19th dwellers bought sites for houses in the country- the Central Statistics Office includes the open century created an interest in the Irish language side as the motor car now allowed them to countryside and villages up to a population of and many people learnt it in the Irish speaking commute to work. It is believed that at least half 1,500 persons. This is perfectly sensible as coun- Catherine McMullin is a member of An areas of the west. Other aspects of the local cul- of the people living in the open countryside now try dwellers use the services and social facilities Taisce in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. 24 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland Phil Sterling & Mark Parsons Illustrated by Richard Publications of Interest Lewington British Wildlife Publishing miracle powers of the Naomhóg, a good health, good food, satisfac- ner Elizabeth ended just four days maps of the spawning and nursery liance on each other to maintain a www.britishwildlife.com statute that was brought to In- tion to their owners, and a con- into the trip whilst waiting to grounds of the main fish stocks. sustainable world. I implore ISBN: 978-0-9564902-1-6 ishkea North by one of the early vivial social atmosphere out in the round the Mizen. At midnight he Although this atlas is aimed everyone to read it; it is inspira- Irish saints, is beautifully told. plots. The book has plentiful foot- woke in their tent in agony and by tional and above all crucially in- Price: £29.95stg/2012 mainly at stakeholders it would in- There is a real heroine in these notes and an extensive bibliogra- mid-morning was in hospital. The deed be most useful education tool structional in how we can mould The pio- journals – Ann Cawley who was phy of often obscure literature. diagnosis was gallstones. Twelve for schools. It can be downloaded the social handprint of future gen- neering Field introduced to Henry in 1938 when John Akeroyd months on he set out alone to at http://hdl.handle.net/10793/640. erations for an environmentally Guide to the she returned to the Mullet to begin canoe around Ireland. From the just world. A self-help bible for Micro moths of Matt Murphy her formal excavations of Inishkea The Grasses of Ireland beginning of this extraordinary societies worldwide in the combat Great Britain North. She worked for Henry on journey Jasper talks of his ups and against environmental destruction. and Ireland fi- her visits to the island each time By John Feehan, downs. Again it was at the Mizen Earth Wars Jessica Richardson nally arrived she returned and was without Helen Sheridan, Damian Egan that he had his first major crisis, The Battle for Global this summer. doubt the ‘go between’ between whether to continue or not. The The smaller, Henry and the men who did the ISBN: 978-1-905254-61-3 Mizen is a place known for its Resources Maritime Transport and but equally fascinating and beauti- work for her on the island and Teagasc harsh seas and unruly waves By Geoff Hiscock the Climate Change ful moths have often been neg- transported her by currach. These crashing under the lighthouse. www.teagasc.ie Challenge lected, even by moth recorders, journals give an insight into the Having successfully rounded it, he John Wiley & Sons from perceived identification diffi- highs and lows that Henry experi- Price: €30.00/2012 cited “now I’m paddling around Singapore Pte. Ltd Edited by Regina Asariotis culties. This guide promises to enced whilst working on this re- Ireland is a Ireland for real”. We journey with www.wiley.com & Hassiba Benamara change all that. Over 1500 art- mote island. They also highlight land of grass – him across Bantry Bay through ISBN: 978-1-118-15288-1 Earthscan from Routledge works and photographs, displaying the difficult and at times horren- the Emerald Dursey Sound, meeting there a moths in their natural resting pos- dous conditions that the islanders Isle famous for basking shark competing with the Price: £19.99stg/2012 www.routledge.com tures, bring to life more than 1000 off the west coast had to endure in centuries for its sprat for tiny plankton. Paddling Earth Wars ISBN: 978-1-84971-238-5 micro-moth species in one most years gone by when their only grazing lands, past the Skellig Islands, round takes an in- Price: £65.00stg/2012 comprehensive field guide. Ac- mode of transport was the currach. cattle and dairy Valentia Island and heading across depth look on companying these figures in an Matt Murphy produce. Grass- the fourteen miles to Dingle how intercon- Maritime easy-to-use format are highly in- land, 90% of Peninsula he gets caught in the nected our Transport and formative texts for each species, the Climate Rooted in the Soil Irish agricultural land, skill lies at tide. We live his nightmare of world has be- 900 up to date distribution maps the heart of the nation’s farming being away out in the open sea, his come in terms Change Chal- and a wealth of additional informa- A history of cottage and culture. This book bravely exhaustion, his chest heaving for of the supply lenge is a col- tion to assist the beginner and ex- gardens and allotments in seeks to help those who wish or breath as he make little or no and demand for lection of pert moth recorder alike to enjoy, Ireland since 1750 need to know more about Irish progress, wondering will he end all sorts of resources, covering the papers by some become familiar with and con- grasses, most of whom will be up out in the Atlantic. Eventually four essentials; food, water, en- of the worlds tribute to our knowledge of these By Jonathan Bell non-botanists (even most botanists after seven hours paddling he ergy and metal's. Geoff Hiscock, a leading authorities on climate under recorded creatures. & Mervyn Watson are deterred by grasses). It is both makes Ventry Harbour. journalist and Asian business ex- change, global transport logistics Gary Hedges an illustrated account of the native The first 500 miles, the journey pert takes a in-depth look at our and maritime engineering. It ISBN: 978-1-84682-327-5 (pb) and principal introduced genera along the west coast to Malin energy future, discussing the brings together the core issues Françoise Henry in Four Courts Press and species, and an identification Head took him two and a half geopolitics behind the upcoming drawn up and discussed at the months to paddle and only two Co. Mayo www.fourcourtspress.ie guide. There are keys (by Tony Far- struggle that the world will face as United Nations Conference on ragher) to flowering and vegetative and a half weeks to cover the next the eminent energy crises ap- € € Trade and Development's (UNC- The Inishkea Journals Price: 45.00 (hb) 24.95 grasses, notes on identification – 500 back to the Mizen. However proaches. The Chapters are sec- TAD) meeting on the impact cli- (sb)/2012 tips of leaf-sheath colour, hairy- or in between paddling he had great tioned into the relevant topics Janet T. Marquardt (Editor) mate change will have on global This book bristly-leaved species, form of the craic in the local villages and giving the read a more text book shipping. A concise and informa- Four Courts Press examines the spikelet and inflorescence etc.. – towns. In between his descriptions feel. Concisely put together they tive collection of information and of his exploits around Ireland we www.fourcourtspress.ie development, and a comprehensive bibliography. present a wide range of key facts opinions, it is unique in allowing social history, learn much about Jasper’s early The accounts of the genera and incorporated well into the text, al- the reader to, not only, access the ISBN: 978-1-84682-374-9 cultivation tech- species are discursive and copi- years – stories of a free spirit. A lowing not only the academic diverse range of related topics; € € niques and even ously illustrated with historical wonderful read. Price: 35.00 (hb) 17.50 (sb) / community to enjoy this highly re- but, also the vast collection of con- the wider politi- coloured drawings and contempo- Matt Murphy searched publication but also any- 2012 tributor's insights. Whilst not a ca- cal significance rary photographs. Introductory one who takes a keen interest in Françoise sual read the topics covered will of small garden sections explore the external farm, these current affairs. Henry, who MEFEPO North Western undoubtedly be informative and plots in Ireland over two and a half structure, (wind) pollination and Matthew Sellwood taught at UCD, Waters Atlas insightful, on the future of global was one of the centuries. A constant theme is the evolution of grasses, also their role value of cottage gardens, small in human society and maintaining 2nd Edition – August 2011 shipping, to those with close per- most important Children, Citizenship sonal and academic links with the 20th century urban plots and allotments to agri- biodiversity. The authors stress the cultural and social improvement in ecological value of grasses, show- By C. Nolan et al and Environment maritime industry. historians of Stuart Sheldon Irish art. In a country where poverty has long ing that Irish agriculture may at Marine Institute Nurturing a democratic 1937, she vis- been a problem. last be moving on from the green imagination in a changing world The 19th century saw the ‘ryegrass’ desert of the second half Download from: ited the remote island of Inishkea http://hdl.handle.net/ North (Co. Mayo) in advance of growth of moves to improve small of the 20th century. By Bronwyn Hayward gardens from pre-Famine potato John Akeroyd 10793/640 excavations to search for early Earthscan from Routledge medieval remains. She also re- (and cabbages) patches to produc- ISBN: 978-1-902895-49-9 100 Physical tive plants that incorporated ad- www.routledge.com turned in 1938, 1946 and 1950. Paddle Free/2011 With each visit, she kept detailed vances in horticulture and an ISBN: 978-1-84971-437-2 (sb) Education ever-greater variety of available A long way around Ireland The purpose technical notes on the archaeolog- of this atlas is to Price: £23.99stg/2012 Activities ical material on the island and also seed. Schools began to take a By Jasper Winn provide a broad This schol- By Denis O’Driscoll kept personal journals of the natu- greater interest in leading ‘rural Sort of Book overview of the arly masterpiece ral world and local culture of the science’, including Padraig A book of child-centred ecosystem of the explains how island at the time. Pearse’s famous St. Edna’s www.sortofbook.co.uk activities, which are simple, north western the foundations These journals were recently School. Allotment Acts in North- safe, enjoyable and need ISBN: 978-0-95600-388-1 waters of Europe. of global secu- discovered in the records of the ern Ireland and the Irish Free State no equipment. It provides up- rity lies in the Royal Irish Academy, translated helped promote an allotment Price: £8.99stg/2011 dated informa- hands of our from the French by Huw Duffy movement, which gained momen- Jasper Winn tion on the physical and chemical children and and edited by Prof Janet T. Mar- tum during the food scarcity of has been an ad- two World Wars. In the 1970s, su- features, habitat types, biological that it is our re- quardt, Illinois University. venturer since features, birds, fishing activities Henry was a most determined permarkets nearly finished allot- his first trip sponsibility as adults to provide ments but they have survived to and other human activities taking them with the means to succeed. woman and seemed to be a person away from place within the region. The infor- witness a major revival. home at sixteen, Bronwyn Hayward provides an without any fear. Throughout her mation has been present through a The authors show how it is still when he hitched educational model that nourishes journal she gives detailed accounts blend of text, tables, figures and the public good what benefits and busked democratic imagination and citi- of her interactions with the locals images. There is a glossary of terms from these small productive plots through France zenship in children to deter them she employed, some were wonder- and a list of more detailed scientific ful exchanges, other not so affa- – they are a manifestation of the and Spain – his mother having from neo-liberal thinking so that Available from Denis references for those interested in ble! Henry was very hard and stern sustainable environmental policies called time on his formal school ed- we may change, through the edu- O’Driscoll, Main Street, following up certain issues. taskmaster to those who brought promoted by today’s governments ucation. Instead he trained falcons cation of ecological citizenship the Ballydehob, Skibbereen, Each of the 20 sections includes her on her visits to the islands and – just as in the days when well- to hunt, rode horses and watched scaffolding of our society. This is a Co Cork, Ireland. helped her on the excavations. meaning reformers saw gardening birds as well as serving apprentice- an introduction with excellent book full of hope that we can unite She gives some wonderful ac- as a means to help and ‘improve’ ship as a harness-maker. maps. For example in one chapter and re-structure politics so that it Price: €5.00 each, postage counts of the island’s natural envi- the poor. Above all, the book His first attempt to canoe we learn of the important spawn- is one of collective thinking, criti- free (within Ireland). ronment. Her description of the shows how allotments engender around Ireland with his then part- ing areas, where we are shown cal reasoning, compassion and re- SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______25 For the Safety of All these photographs, taken over are obvious, with the relief 100 years ago. ship anchored in the distance Sir Robert Ball’s images, and equipment, supplies and which were in print, glass people being landed by row negative or glass lantern slide boat. To see how the founda- format were stored away, in tions to the Mizen Head Fog some cases for over 100 Station were carried out is fas- years. They only came to light cinating and there is a

in recent years when a review wonderful picture of a man Images courtesy of National Library Ireland of historical material was with a hand pick breaking rock being carried out in the for the foundations and then archives of the Commission- another of the completed ers of Irish Lights. The entire building. The book has beauti- collection was donated to the ful images of children on Inis National Photographic Mór, Aran Islands, where they A Review by perches and lightships around Archive – the photographic acted as tour guides. We also the entire coast of Ireland. As section of the National see the keepers’ children at Matt Murphy a scientific advisor, Ball was Library of Ireland – where it Fanad, Co. Donegal and Gal- consulted on many aspects of could be professionally cared ley Head, Co. Cork, dressed in IN 1883 the Commissioners lighthouse equipment, espe- for and made accessible to the their Sunday best for the of Irish Lights engaged the cially the functioning of the general public. inspectors’ visit. What is so services of Dr Robert Stawell beam. On those visits he took The book, featuring a selec- striking throughout the book is The new Fastnet tower, off the coast of Co. Cork, and the remains of the old tower being demantled. Ball, astronomer and mathe- photographs of the people and tion of photographs from the that most of the men have matician, as their Scientific coastal communities of the collection, is divided into either moustaches or beards! Adviser, to assist them in the period, along with images of eight chapters: The Annual The real gems are the pho- optical development of light- lighthouses and ships and the Tour, Landings, Inspection tographs of the construction of house technology. In doing so operational methods and Time, The Fastnet, Old Stones, the new Fastnet Lighthouse in they not only gained scientific equipment used at the time– Vessels, Any Shape or Form 1903–4. We see how the 2074 knowledge but also one of the in short a unique visual his- and Keepers. granite blocks were hoisted most talented amateur photog- tory of the Irish Lighthouse The photographs begin with into place – all hand-operated rapher of the late 19th century. Service. a magnificent view of the old by means of ship’s tackle and For 29 years Sir Robert The National Library of Ire- Mizen Head bridge, the first rigging. There is a view of the Ball (he was later knighted) land in association with the reinforced concrete arch bridge new tower and the nearly was part of the committee that Commissioners of Irish Lights in Ireland (which has recently demolished old tower. There annually inspected the light- published a magnificent pho- been replaced). Throughout the is an extraordinary photo- houses, beacons, buoys, tographic book of some of book the dangers of these visits graph of workers sheeting the dome of the unglazed lantern, which would house the lamp and optic. The three men have no safety harness and are 170 ft up. The present day Health Crew members hauling in a buoy sweep, in what began as white Eli Lilly S.A. – Irish Branch and Safety people would have uniforms. One wonders who did the washing? a field day! These are only a few of the copy plus packaging and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers over 100 wonderful images in postage at the following rates: this book. We are very fortu- Ireland: €3.00 / Overseas: nate that these images (along €3.75. Payment by cheque with the many others in the only should be made payable collection) have been pre- to the Commissioners of Irish served in the National Library Lights, and posted to: of Ireland and that they have Corporate Services Eli Lilly wishes “Sherkin Comment” been brought to life in this book – they are a treasure. The Department, Irish Lights continued success. book is an ideal present for Office, Harbour Road, Dun anyone interested in the sea. Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Published by This book called For the National Library of Ireland A bosun’s chair, used to hoist Safety of All – images and in association with the men on to or off stations where Commissioners of Irish landing conditions were poor, as Eli Lilly S.A. – Irish Branch inspections of Irish shown here at Fastnet. Dunderrow, Lighthouses costs €13.00 per Lights. ISBN: 0907328369. Kinsale, Co. Cork Telephone: 021-4772699 Fax: 021-4775152 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lilly.ie

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Answers That Matter Visit www.naturesweb.ie 26 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 JUNIOR PAGES FASTEST, LARGEST, SMALLEST – The Fantastic World of Fish

The Smallest and Largest Fish

The smallest fish so far recorded lives in the forest swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and belongs to the carp family – which includes the common goldfish. It is only 7.9 mm long and so small that it will easily fit onto your fingernail.

The largest fish in the world is the Whale Shark, which is harmless and feeds on plankton by filtering seawater. The largest ever recorded was 12.65 metres long and weighed 21.5 metric tonnes. The largest gathering of Whale Sharks occurred in 2011 when over Fish – Nature's Natural Submarines! 400 gathered off the coast of Mexico, to feed on eggs produced by The developers of the modern submarine must have got their inspiration tunny fish. from that natural submarine – the fish. Like a fish's swim bladder, submarines have 'ballast tanks' containing air that allow them to float at 'neutral buoyancy' without having to put any effort into staying at a Captain Cockle’s Log particular depth. The fish's powerful tail is replaced by a propeller and the fins that allow a fish to 'fly' underwater are replaced by diving Copyright John Joyce 2012 planes. Unlike the crew of a submarine however, fish can even breathe Log onto underwater with their gills – blood filled membranes that absorb oxygen from the water and allow carbon dioxide to be released. www.captaincockle.com

Speedy Sailfish Clock Over 100 Kms per Hour The Indo-Pacific Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) lives life in the fast lane! Not only is it the fastest swimming fish in the sea – clocking up an incredible 100 kilometres per hour (68 miles per hour) – faster than a cheetah can run – it also grows at an incredible rate. Young sailfish hatch from eggs within 36 hours and grow to be two metres long within twelve months. They feed on squid, fly- ing fish and anchovies and can retract their large dorsal fin when travelling at speed. Sailfish are found in the warmer water regions of the Pacific and the Atlantic, where they grow to a maximum size of around three metres. The largest sailfish ever captured was caught in 1994 and weighed 64 kilos. To see a great video of sailfish in action, check out the great National Geographic video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spkjQ3c_AjU

Fish that Fish for Fish Unlike Sailfish, Angler Fish wait for their food to come to them. Deepwater species have a luminous lure powered by phosphorescent bacteria to catch unwary prey. In the deep oceans it is so difficult for a female Angler Fish to find a mate that male fish, once found, actually attach themselves to the female's body. Other species, that live in shallow European waters, disguise themselves to blend into the bottom and then jiggle their lures to fish for food. SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______27 Learn about birds with BirdWatch Ireland Birds & Weather

BIRDS are eye-catching. Because of this it is easier to see the Feeding Wild Birds Leaflet effects of weather on them than on other wildlife. Download this leaflet from the Learn about Birds section on BirdWatch Ireland’s website at www.birdwatchireland.ie By BirdWatch Ireland

Learn how to identify the birds in your garden with our Free Garden Bird Charts. Send a SAE Wind Direction to: BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, Wind from the north is cold and from the Co. Wicklow. east is cold and dry. Wind from the south is

warm and from the west is warm and wet. Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy A north or east wind may make the birds BirdWatch Ireland has move south or west, to escape cold weather. In over 10,000 members and spring, a south or south-west wind may help the has branches throughout summer visitors migrating to this country from the country which Europe and Africa. organise events and • Watch the TV outings in your area. Why weather not get your school to forecasts for join? Write to us or visit our website for details: details of wind www.birdwatchireland.ie directions. • Work out how Gulls move inland during stormy weather. this might make BirdWatch Ireland has two educational web birds move. Measuring Air Pressure sites, catering for learning about birds in schools. Use a barometer to measure Measuring Wind the pressure at the same time 0 Visit the Working with Birds web site to Use a local weather-vane to find the direction learn about watching and feeding birds of day for a week. If you have of the wind and: no barometer, use the 'state' • Simply go to www.birdwatchireland.ie and go to Note down the wind of the weather instead. • the ‘learn about birds’ section direction at the same 'Bad' weather (cloudy, wet, time every day for a windy) means that pressure BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, week. is low. Co. Wicklow. • Note down whether • 'Good' weather (clear sky, Tel: 01–2819878 Fax: 01–2819763 the wind is light, dry, calm) means that air Email: [email protected] breezy or strong. pressure is high. At the same time, watch what the birds are • Watch the TV weather maps to see the high Website: www.birdwatchireland.ie doing. Are they mostly flying or perched and low pressure areas. Work out how they (sitting), are they out in the open or sheltering? will affect the birds.

Air Pressure Conclusions When pressure falls, weather becomes wet or • What connections can you find between your windy. As it rises, weather improves. Birds weather records and the numbers of the move away from low pressure to avoid bad birds in your area and what are they doing? weather and choose times when the pressure is • How important is the state of the weather high to set out on long migratory journeys. to the birds staying alive? Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy Image courtesy of www.birdwatchireland.ie

In winter high pressure like this would cause dry but very cold weather over In spring, a south or south-west wind may Ireland. help the summer visitors (such as the swallow) migrating to this country from Europe and Africa. 28 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 MUSHROOMS

& FUNGI a +

cap MUSHROOM WORDSEARCH b +

autumn medicine cap poisonous gills food puffball c fruiting bodies spores ring + fungi stalk gills toadstool stalk kingdom (Answers below) d + HDDVQLE PX By Jenna Poole

ZNXOCH I KA MOST of our large mushrooms and toadstools emerge in late summer and e + GKUSOPVBZ autumn and can be found in woodlands RBFKPFXFK and unimproved grasslands (those without too much fertiliser or LEUNHOCAH pesticide applied). Species are f + identified by the presence of gills or LPNQLFREM pores, their size and colour, and even APGIURKEI the smell! Mushrooms and toadstools are BTIRCUICS types of fungi. They are the fruiting g + bodies of much more complex FXUDGIKFR organisms. These organisms are made FQUIRTDNL up of hidden networks of hair-like Join the two words to make a new word! strands (called hyphae), which send (Answers below.) UKLVMIMER up the more obvious fruiting bodies when reproducing. PLADLNPEM All fungi lack the chlorophyll that SATXZGWSQ makes plants and trees green, and they reproduce by spores, instead of WORDS WITHIN WORDS KLATSBMYO pollen-fertilised ovules that become Mycology is the study of mushrooms. seeds. How many words of two or more ZCCSAOVPI Once called non-flowering plants, letters can you make from the word DZWSDDPVP fungi now have their own Kingdom (in MYCOLOGY? the same way as animals and plants We can find 20. Can you find more? UVAGSIFOP do). As well as mushrooms and (See list below) toadstools, this Kingdom also includes OXNAVE IOA yeasts and moulds. RINADSUZC Fungi actually have a very important role within most ecosystems. They KGKBOCPXI break down organic matter such as leaf litter and dead wood, which helps Hidden in Plain Sight GJCNKEHND create fertile and healthy soils. Man Hidden in these sentences are words relating to LOOTSDAOT uses a number of fungi species to mushrooms. Can you find them? Answers below. make medicines, most famously KUPAUTUMN penicillin, which Sir Alexander 1. The captain sailed the ship into port. Flemming discovered in 1928. SUVBUF XY C 2. Yoyos are fun gifts for children. (Text from “Nature’s Web” No. 15 www.naturesweb.ie) Mushrooms should never be collected without help from a knowledgeable fungus expert, 3. Thomas talks about the different as many species can be DEADLY POISONOUS! colours of the rainbow. 4. A ball of string is a useful thing.

Answers below.

1. cap; 2. fungi; 3. stalk; 4. ring. 4. stalk; 3. fungi; 2. cap; 1. Sight: Plain

Hidden in Hidden foxglove. g. cowboy; f. horsefly; e. mothball; d. bulldog; c. toadstool; b. catfish; a. Words: Other In

my, cog, coo, coy, gym, log, loo, moo, clog, cloy, cool, logo, loom, coyly, gloom, gloomy, myology, mycology. myology, gloomy, gloom, coyly, loom, logo, cool, cloy, clog, moo, loo, log, gym, coy, coo, cog, my,

go, lo, go, Words: Within Words (9,22,W). toadstool (5,14,W); stalk (4,3,SE); spores (1,12,N); puffball (9,16,SW);

fruiting bodies (6,6,S); fungi (3,4,S); gills (5,9,SW); kingdom (1,20,NE); medicine (9,12,NW); poisonous (9,12,NW); medicine (1,20,NE); kingdom (5,9,SW); gills (3,4,S); fungi (6,6,S); bodies fruiting

): autumn (4,23,E); cap (9,19,W); food (6,4,NW); food (9,19,W); cap (4,23,E); autumn ): direction down, (over, Wordsearch Mushroom ANSWERS: SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______29

A Selection of Winning Entries Sherkin Island Marine Station’s Environmental Competition for Primary School Children in Munster 2012

Sponsors: Dept. of the Environment, Community & Local Government; Bord Iascaigh Mhara; City Print; Cork City Council; Cork County Council;Evening Echo; Inland Fisheries Ireland; Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd; Nature’s Web (www.naturesweb.ie); Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals; Sherkin Comment. 30 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54

GAISCE – the President’s Award Continues to Thrive

what could be better. These regional seminars President Higgins presenting a Gold Gaisce Award to Hillary Ennell from Enniscorthy Co.Wexford. culminated with a national seminar in Áras an Uachtaráin where the out- comes from the seminars and the online submissions were presented in work- shop format and collated in a manner to produce a final ‘Declaration on Being Young & Irish’ This Declaration was then presented to appro- priate government and other agencies with a view Images courtesy of Gaisce – the President’s Award Images courtesy of Gaisce – the President’s to maintaining the positive President Higgins with Gaisce volunteers and participants at the Dublin seminar in Bolton Street College of Technology. aspects of Being Young & Irish and to taking action GAISCE – The Presi- of Gaisce, has been host- on any negative feedback dent’s Award which was ing seminars around the on Being Young & Irish. established by the Gov- country as part of his ini- Gaisce Award holders ernment in 1985, which tiative entitled ‘Being acted as volunteers at was International Youth Young & Irish’. The semi- each of the events around President Higgins pictured with Gaisce alumni, from TarÉis Óir,TÉÓ, at Áras an Uachtaráin. Year, continues to develop nars were held in Dublin, the country by assisting at a rapid rate. Since the Cork, Monaghan and Gal- with the facilitation and Award was established way and were for young logistics of the day. over 300,000 young peo- people aged 17 to 26. The This very innovative ini- ple have participated. objective is to gather the tiative of the President is Last year 20,536 young opinions of young people meant to give young people people registered for the on what they believe it is a voice and to let them Award programme and like in the current day to know that their opinions they are supported by be young and to be Irish. are valued and listened to. 1,200 voluntary Presi- In other words, the good dent’s Award Leaders things, the interesting For information on Gaisce - (PALs) nationwide. things, the proud things, The President’s Award see President Michael D. the positive things, the www.gaisce.ie Higgins, who is the patron not so good things and SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 ______31 Colour Me!

BLACK JOHN THE BOGUS PIRATE

Cartoon John Joyce has launched his Workbook of new 20-page interactive workbook, which will teach MARINE BEASTS young artists and scientists about marine life through the medium of cartoons.

Learn the basics of cartooning, draw funny cartoons of crabs, fish and sharks.

Learn about the many and varied 'mini-monsters' on the seashore.

Designed in support of the Irish SESE curriculum, the UK's Key Stage 2 and 3 and the USA's National Science Education Standards (K-4).

Available directly from www.spindriftpress.com for €3.99 plus €1.50 p&p in Ireland 32 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Coastal Storm Surprises

dimensions caused significant damage of rain was unprecedented. Previous By Mike Ludwig along much of the east coast and yet coastal storms that made landfall in the public may not have understood the area had lost severity, generally, HURRICANE/Tropical Storm (TS) the situation. The principal public and upon striking shore. Adding to that is Irene struck North Carolina in August political response was anger that post- the growth of the coastal population of 2011, slowly moved up the US storm recovery took more than a week many of which are new to the area coastline, and died over northern in many locations due to fallen trees and possess little or no severe storm Maine. It made history for the num- and loss of electrical power. Public experience. When Irene and Lee bers of people in its path—some 65 concern about future storms may not reached the greater New York City million— and caused 11 deaths as have improved. area they were Tropical Storms with well as billions in property damages. Storm damage is becoming more winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour (63

It was the first tropical cyclone Image courtesy of NOAA extensive because climatic changes to 118 kilometres per hour). (Note: a (winds move in a counterclockwise are altering the severity of weather one-mile/kilometre per hour differ- Homes built too close to shore can be destroyed by waves during storms. direction) to make landfall in New patterns and more and more people ence in wind speed is the difference York City since the turn of the last structures or natural armour against zones and unprecedented volumes of century. In September 2011, TS Lee have moved into harms way within the between a TS and a hurricane [73 to storms from the northeast were over- sediment settled into navigation chan- landed in Louisiana and meandered coastal zone. Today, more than 50 per- 74 mph or 118 to 119 kph]!) When whelmed by forces from the nels and berthing areas. These changes northward across the eastern US, cent of the US population lives within the storms’ progress slowed in the southwest. Structures buckled and caused massive dieoffs of estuarine inland from the coastline but along a 50-miles of a shoreline. Experiencing New York area, their persistent winds failed under the one-two onslaught of plants and animals unable to relocate path similar to Irene’s. The two severe weather is educational, if in a coupled with unusually high tides, a the two storms. Natural and man- or escape the almost month long low storms deposited upwards of 24 safe location during the observations. storm surge approaching 4.5 feet, and made sandy beaches, shorelines and salinity conditions, burial by the depo- inches of rain in less than a month Without that experience, some people 11 to 15 inches of rainfall a week homes disappeared as millions of sition of sediment or a combination of and caused damages similar to a assume warnings are overly cautious apart created damages typically asso- yards of sand were eroded. Fortu- those events. Fortunately, we were severe hurricane. and if necessary, rescue is possible. ciated with hurricanes. nately, most of the beach season had monitoring a number of areas and saw People often go years without expe- However, today, many communities Sewage treatment plants failed passed and repairs could extend until the destruction as well as the begin- riencing a serious storm and that tends tell residents that when an evacuation throughout the region as they were the 2012 season. nings of recovery. to affect memories. Faulty storm is ordered, there will be no emergency flooded or overwhelmed with We had a number of unanticipated Storms are natural events but with memories can create expectations that rescue response during the storm. untreated waste and rainwater. To save consequences from the storms within their increasing severity, relying on future storms are not a cause for con- Simply, “you have been warned, why plants the incoming flows were often, the estuarine zone. Homes that had experience is not a particularly good cern. So, even dire predictions by should others risk their lives to correct redirected to bypass outlets that dis- stood for decades were swept away. idea. The Irene and Lee combination weather experts and the evidence that your bad choices?” Some Emergency charged into local waterways. In the With so much freshwater in rivers, has proven that finding. storm impacts have worsened with Services Agencies now ask people lower Hudson River alone, more than estuaries became fresh. Salinity Global Climate Change are not mak- who refuse to obey evacuation orders 50 treatment plants went to direct dis- records for the month of October and Mike Ludwig, Ocean & Coastal ing the public cautious. Such was the to provide “next of kin” information. charge into the River. Adding to those early November of 2011 show a disap- Consultants, Suite 1200, 35 case when Hurricane/ TS Irene and TS The northeast had not experienced flows were the unprecedented storm pearance of the normal, salinity, Corporate Drive, Trumbull, CT USA. mixing zone. Harbours became full of Lee swept the East Coast. Persistent a storm like Irene or Lee with pro- drainage flows and the materials they [This article was written prior to Superstorm winds and torrential rainfalls that tracted winds from the southwest for eroded from the land. freshwater, estuarine habitat condi- Sandy, which hit the US East coast at the end approached or exceeded hurricane almost three decades and the volume Similarly, protective shoreline tions moved outside normal mixing of October 2012 – Editor]