2015 National information Day on Horizon 2020 SC5

Flash Presentation Session 2b: Nature-Based Solutions

Karin Dubsky, Coastwatch Civil and Environmental Engineering, TCD, Dublin 2

My Focus: Coastal Nature – most of our cities are coastal •

• High value nature in urban areas • Designations - Dublin bay biosphere and Natura 2000 sites • Social - who knows it and who values it? What is it? We have an infill

and discharge to the sea history. • Decision to protect and manage is political

e.g. dog versus hare on Bull island

So to protect nature and to get human well being benefits, we need a solid knowledge and emotional connection foundation

NEEDS: Informed public participation in Environmental

Protection, Wise Use and Management of Coastal Resources.

HEAD: Gather, handle and understand information HEART: Love that shore, species, sound, smell

Aarhus it: know, apply law, public participation … CITIZEN SCIENCE: Coastwatch data gathering on biodiversity, IAS, eutrophication and litter . Coastwatch scientists and lawyers working also on GES, and further Descriptors , eg shellfish

Many Citizen science ways … - Coastwatch experience - record, photo, photo with GPS, measuring tape… Citizens report an exciting stable find, a fixed organism on a stable boulder which can be found again, or catch a moment in time like nitrates in an inflow - Coastwatch results & EPA below

8%

51%33%

8%Tolka Estuary inflows (n=51)

20%

36%25%

19%

South Dublin Bay (n=36)

Rush

7%

13%

13%

27%

40%

Rush inflows tested (n=15)

8%

31%

38%

23%

Bannow Bay inf. test. (n=13)

100%

Tralee Bay Inflows tesded (n=22)

South Dublin

Bannow Bay Tralee Bay

Tolka Estuary

Coastwatch Horizon 2020 ideas: 1 Social – attitude, knowledge • establish urban coastal site status combining official data and a

citizen science update to produce an agreed status report • research public feeling about status before baseline, after baseline

and after some engagement to make things better or clearer. • Produce advice to maximize social buy in to restoring and protecting

coastal nature/biodiversity. Theme 1 b - create a physical citizen observatory in an urban site abandoned infrastructure – e.g. Blackrock bath

Theme 2: Urban Habitat Restoration the fragile coastal rim. The quality of the coastal rim – edge of land - splashzone and intertidal have nursery functions for many species But urban shores tend to be either hard concrete, rock armour, wall or if sandy then mechanically cleaned and full of disturbance as people enjoy this space, so biodiversity is squeezed. Some simple modifications - adding soft coast nodules, bands with nursery wetland elements can significantly increase biodiversity, produce wave buffers and be welcomed by people if they are involved. This project seeks to audit the shores of 3 coastal cities with citizens and draft a ‘bio-diversification’ plan with citizens and start implementing sections of it.

Theme 3: Species protection, monitoring and potentially restoration • Select iconic species which become the flagship of the town to focus on

improving their status and avoiding damage

• or focus on a group in society with particular skill – eg Boyne salmon - Drogheda Draft fisheries

Boyne Estuary Salmon

Drogheda - Boyne salmon fishing was closed as salmon numbers had dwindled. But as stocks still needed to be monitored, IFI and fishermen with Coastwatch support designed a salmon research project. Draft fishermen men catch salmon on set days to tag, weigh & check health (sea lice infestation) of returning fish. Boyne Draft-fishermen

cooperation with IFI now in its 6th year. Stocks improving

(pics by Pat Burns 2013 season)

A citizen science initiative

for the sea and us,

Karin Dubsky Coastwatch

Civil and Env. Eng. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 kdubsky@coastwatch.org and kdubsky@tcd.ie Mob 086 8111 684