527
Tern nests recorded across four artificial structures in Dublin Port in 2021
Infrastructure
Environmental Monitoring at Dublin Port
Strategic Infrastructure Development at Dublin Port is being advanced through an environmental lens.
In the last decade, we’ve carried out environmental monitoring, collaborative working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and consultations with key stakeholders at Dublin Port. All this has bolstered our understanding of the key environmental constraints on this multi-million euro scheme.
Key details
Project name
Dublin Port
Client
Dublin Port Company
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Services provided:
- Environmental Framework Services
- Environmental Assessment Reporting and Monitoring
- Licensing and Consenting
Challenge
One of the goals of the project was to enhance marine biodiversity while enabling port redevelopment and day-to-day port activity to co-exist.
In 2021, a total of 527 Tern (seabird) nests were recorded across four artificial structures in Dublin Port. Terns colour ringed in Dublin have now been observed as far away as Senegal in Africa. We observed otters preying on one of the Tern colonies for the first time, indicating we contributed to improving marine biodiversity within Dublin Port.
The resilience of the Terns has demonstrated that the ongoing conservation work can be extended to another bird species of conservation interest, the Black Guillemot. Black Guillemots are small seabirds, related to the Puffin, which nest in holes in quay walls and their artificial structures at Dublin Port. They are also very tolerant of port activity and so we’re implementing a conservation management plan to provide suitable nesting areas to encourage the existing colonies to expand.
Solution
By designing and implementing the monitoring programme, we provided the scientific basis for successfully bringing forward sustainable port development to planning from the Dublin Port Masterplan 2040.
The monitoring programme also focuses on the potential impact of port redevelopment on local residents and the wider community, including users of the River Liffey. This includes monitoring of air quality, noise, dust, traffic and water quality.
Project statistics
7.6 € million
total expenditure on monitoring programme
1 € billion
total expenditure on Dublin Port infrastructure
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