Kilkieran Bay (Connemara, Co. Galway)
Kilkieran Bay in Connemara is a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC, Code: IE0002111) and Natural Heritage Area (NHA) due to its important habitats and protected species (www.npws.ie). It is also classified as “unpolluted” by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The area hosts several pristine Zostera marina meadows, including the one in Lettercallow, which was chosen as the donor site after experiments confirmed its health and suitability. However, Lettercallow faces challenges from increasing extreme weather events, such as storms.
Context.
The CLIMAREST project investigates the potential of restoration activities in various coastal regions spanning the Arctic-Atlantic area. This initiative promotes a unique collaboration across five demonstration sites, ranging from Svalbard to the Madeira Archipelago and southern Spain, with replication sites in the Mediterranean Sea.
Adopting a holistic and transdisciplinary bottom-up approach, CLIMAREST aims to develop a comprehensive framework of cross-cultural and cross-methodological strategies. These efforts focus on creating technological, logistical, social, and economic innovations to advance marine ecosystem restoration.
Vision.
The seagrass restoration component is led by the University of Galway in Ireland. Together, partners from Ireland and Spain work toward the following objectives:
- Assess and implement seagrass restoration tools at the designated demonstration sites.
- Develop protocols and methodologies to optimize seagrass restoration techniques.
- Monitor seagrass ecosystems using innovative and cost-effective technologies.
- Assess seagrass connectivity through molecular tools to prevent genetic contamination arising from restoration activities.
- Evaluate the ecophysiological status of seagrass meadows in Ireland, with particular attention to the anthropogenic pressures on estuarine areas.
- Promote stakeholder engagement and encourage citizen science initiatives to enhance public understanding of seagrass ecosystems.
The collaborative effort in CLIMAREST highlights the importance of using integrated approaches to restore and protect marine environments while promoting community involvement and scientific innovation. Seagrass efforts focus in three taxa in Ireland: Zostera marina, Z. marina var. angustifolia and Nanozostera noltei in Ireland and Z. marina, noltei and Cymodocea nodosa in Málaga, Spain.