- Location: Ireland, Northern Ireland
- Institution: Ulster University, University College Dublin, University of Limerick
- Status: Active
- Type: Independent
- Theme: Monitoring
- Timeframe: 2024 - 2029
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This project aims to find the best ways to monitor and restore rivers and lakes. Doing this will help improve water quality, restore biodiversity, and guide actions that match the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.
Currently, different solutions are being tested in rivers across Ireland and the UK. These include reducing pollution from agriculture, reducing extra sediment from entering rivers, and removing man-made barriers in streams. However, we have not consistently checked how well these measures work. As a result, it is hard to know which actions are most effective or where they should be used.
We also need better data on how pollution moves from rivers into lakes. This has been difficult because measurements are not frequent enough, and methods to check pollution levels are limited. Therefore, we must review our approach and create, test, and approve new methods, especially as climate change affects water flow and pollution.
Project Goals
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Develop a detailed dataset that includes different types of surface water systems to help with modeling and guidance.
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Model the types and locations of actions needed to improve water quality.
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Identify ecological indicators that show whether biodiversity efforts are successful.
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Identify what factors affect how quickly aquatic biodiversity can recover.
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Show how drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) can be used to gather accurate and repeatable data about physical characteristics and water quality.
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Provide river managers with clear advice on the best ways to monitor and support restoration efforts.
Team
Jan Robert Baars
Gerard Dooly
Fiachra O’Loughlin
John O’Sullivan
Jonathan Turner
Jens Carlsson
Phil Jordan
Marcin Penk
Raymond K. Wilson
Suman Acharya
Vivien Vos
Georgina Mooney
Tom Dorian
Hannah Magee
Institutions
