Distribution of entomopathogenic nematodes in an Irish sand dune system

A 100 x 800 m section of the sand dune system at North Bull Island, Dublin Bay, Ireland, was surveyed for entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) by baiting soil cores with Galleria mellonella in July and August of 2001 and 2002. Two species were found: Steinernema feltiae (2.5 and 3.2% of cores) and Heterorhabditis downesi (1.9 and 3.8% of cores in 2001 and 2002, respectively). In each year, two colour variants of the G. mellonella cadavers containing H. downesi were found: purple and yellow. In both 2001 and 2002, H. downesi was most prevalent in the front 20 m of the dune system. Steinernema feltiae occurrence generally increased with distance into the dunes. In 2002, H. downesi was recovered most often in sandy paths than any other habitat surveyed but there was no habitat differentiation for S. feltiae. Human traffic may be an important factor in the distribution of both EPN and their insect hosts on Bull Island

Distribution of entomopathogenic nematodes in an Irish sand dune system

A 100 x 800 m section of the sand dune system at North Bull Island, Dublin Bay, Ireland, was surveyed for entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) by baiting soil cores with Galleria mellonella in July and August of 2001 and 2002. Two species were found: Steinernema feltiae (2.5 and 3.2% of cores) and Heterorhabditis downesi (1.9 and 3.8% of cores in 2001 and 2002, respectively). In each year, two colour variants of the G. mellonella cadavers containing H. downesi were found: purple and yellow. In both 2001 and 2002, H. downesi was most prevalent in the front 20 m of the dune system. Steinernema feltiae occurrence generally increased with distance into the dunes. In 2002, H. downesi was recovered most often in sandy paths than any other habitat surveyed but there was no habitat differentiation for S. feltiae. Human traffic may be an important factor in the distribution of both EPN and their insect hosts on Bull Island

Drinking Water Source Protection for Surface Water Abstractions: An Overview of the Group Water Scheme Sector in the Republic of Ireland

Source protection is part of a multi-solution approach for the provision of safe drinking water. In the Republic of Ireland, community-led Group Water Schemes (GWS) provide treated drinking water to approximately 69,000 rural households. Between 2009 and 2019, preliminary source protection assessments were undertaken for 70 GWS abstracting from surface water sources to provide physical catchment characterisation and untreated and treated water quality analysis. Catchment areas upstream of abstraction points varied in size, with 51.5% being less than 5 km2 and only 10.7% being larger than 100 km2. The majority (91%) of assessed GWS serve a population of less than 3000 people, and 94% supply less than 1500 m3 per day. Exceedances of the EU Drinking Water Regulations were recorded for 27 parameters, with the greatest number of exceedances due to total trihalomethanes followed by microbial contamination. The most frequent recommendation for improving GWS drinking water quality was associated with managing livestock access to local water bodies. Improving stakeholder engagement represented 38% of all recommendations made. Drinking water source protection measures and catchment-scale actions can be an additional model to assist in the delivery of Integrated Catchment Management and river basin management planning in the Republic of Ireland. For the GWS sector, challenges lie in securing resources to improve both source water and drinking water quality to deliver integrated catchment management plans for source protection

Distribution of entomopathogenic nematodes in an Irish sand dune system

A 100 x 800 m section of the sand dune system at North Bull Island, Dublin Bay, Ireland, was surveyed for entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) by baiting soil cores with Galleria mellonella in July and August of 2001 and 2002. Two species were found: Steinernema feltiae (2.5 and 3.2% of cores) and Heterorhabditis downesi (1.9 and 3.8% of cores in 2001 and 2002, respectively). In each year, two colour variants of the G. mellonella cadavers containing H. downesi were found: purple and yellow. In both 2001 and 2002, H. downesi was most prevalent in the front 20 m of the dune system. Steinernema feltiae occurrence generally increased with distance into the dunes. In 2002, H. downesi was recovered most often in sandy paths than any other habitat surveyed but there was no habitat differentiation for S. feltiae. Human traffic may be an important factor in the distribution of both EPN and their insect hosts on Bull Island

Water matters: An assessment of opinion on water management and community engagement in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom

<div><p>Internationally, water management is moving from the traditional top-down approach to more integrated initiatives focussing on community-led action. With inadequacies in previous engagement initiatives undertaken through the first cycle of River Basin Management Planning for the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Republic of Ireland has only recently embraced this bottom-up approach. The attempted introduction of national charging for domestic water use in 2015 has resulted in significant public disquiet and protest movements against the national government. In April 2015 we undertook a survey of current opinion on water management and community engagement initiatives in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. A total of 520 survey responses identified that although freshwater bodies are important in peoples’ lives, respondents were typically unaware of global initiatives such as Integrated Water Resources Management and Integrated Catchment Management. Overall, 81% of respondents did not feel included in decisions about their water environment despite an overwhelming 95% believing that local communities should have a say in how the water environment is managed. However, only 35.1% of respondents stated that they would be willing to attend local water management engagement initiatives. Rather than supporting individual gain, respondents identified social gains for the local community as avenues for increasing local involvement in water initiatives. In the Republic of Ireland, a water engagement initiative that implements the national framework local delivery model should be developed and implemented. This would 1) contribute to the second round of WFD River Basin Management Planning; 2) facilitate stronger connections between local communities and their water environment; and 3) foster bottom-up initiatives that empower communities regarding local water management issues.</p></div

Examining awareness, attitudes and behaviours of stakeholders in Irish Fishing towards plastic

This paper explores the awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of members of the Irish fishing community towards environmental topics such as; microplastics, plastic pollution and recycling. We conducted a mixed method survey consisting of 26 questions (2021) involving members of the Irish fishing community (fishers, aquaculturists etc.). Respondents were generally aware of microplastics and the threats they can pose to different environmental matrices. They noticed litter frequently when engaged in their fishing activities (0% never noticed litter) and in large quantities (35% of respondents noticed over 10+ items) but they were likely (likely 40% and highly likely 35%) to remove it from the environment. Durability was the main reason for the selection of most fishing plastics used by respondents (ranked first in 4 of 5 plastic items) while recyclability played a lesser role. Respondents also viewed plastics as cheap and convenient with these terms accounting for 48% of positive connotations related to the word ‘plastic’, however, in general associated plastic with negative phrases. Barriers to the recycling of used fishing plastics were most frequently identified as being due to a lack of knowledge on how to or a lack of facilities. This study provides novel insight into a previously unstudied cohort in Irish society towards plastics and recycling and can serve as guidance for further work on this group

River Basin Management Planning in the Republic of Ireland: Past, Present and the Future

The River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) is an essential component of the European Union Water Framework Directive that details an integrated approach required to protect, improve and sustainably manage water resources. RBMP were intended to be produced for the periods 2009–2015, 2016–2021 and 2022–2027. However, after two years of delays in the development processes, the Republic of Ireland produced its first RBMP in 2010. The second RBMP cycle was also implemented in 2018 and is expected to run until the end of 2021 to give way to the third RBMP, whose consultation processes have been ongoing since December 2019. This paper contributes to the forthcoming RBMP by assessing stakeholders’ perspectives on the second RBMP through a desk-based review and by conducting interviews with nine institutions (14 interviewees). The qualitatively analysed interviews reveal a broad spectrum of actors associated with water management and governance in the Republic of Ireland through a three-tier governance structure that has been delivered (with amendment) through the first two RBMPs. Organisations such as the An Fóram Uisce|The Water Forum, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Local Authority Waters, and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme have responsibilities designated in the RBMPs to deliver improved water quality, integrated catchment management, community engagement and awareness-raising. Trust has also been building up among these organisations and other agencies in the water sector. Despite these responsibilities and progress made, the interviews identified communication lapses, ineffective collaboration and coordination among stakeholders and late implementation to be hampering the successful delivery of the second RBMP, in addition to significant pressures acting on water bodies from agricultural activities and urban wastewater treatment. Towards the third RBMP, the paper concludes that optimised water sector finance, enhanced and well-resourced communications, and improved stakeholder collaboration are needed to foster effective and efficient water services delivery and quality. More so, given the cross-cutting impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on water resources and the interconnected relations among the goals, the paper further recommends the integration of the SDGs in the various plans of actions and a co-benefits approach to derive the triple benefits from biodiversity, climate change initiatives and water quality measures