Work package 3
Pollution as a driver of biodiversity change - impacts, indicators and long-term monitoring
Project leaders: Dr. Tasman Crowe (UCD) and Dr. Mary Kelly-Quinn (UCD)
Project Statement
The Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC; HD) and the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC; WFD) both require consideration of the impacts of pollutants on elements of biodiversity and the development of cost-effective tools to measure those impacts. In this workpackage, we will first review the range of likely pollutants of Irish aquatic habitats and potentially applicable biomonitors, bioindicators and indicators of biodiversity or conservation status. We will select those most likely to be effective, undertake research to test their effectiveness for selected habitats and taxonomic groups and establish a strategic agenda to assess their effectiveness for others. 
The workpackage will bring together academics, government organisations and NGOs and draw on links with existing and proposed networks and projects to develop an integrated approach to monitoring in relation to the HD and WFD across a range of habitats and taxa. The overall aim will be to characterise impacts of key pollutants on biodiversity and to define rapid, cost-effective surrogate measures highly correlated with measured total biodiversity, pollution and system functioning at a range of spatial and temporal scales.
Objectives and Targets
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Review impacts of key pollutants likely to affect Irish aquatic systems;
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Review potentially applicable biomonitors, bioindicators and indicators of biodiversity / conservation status; Characterise impacts of key pollutants driving biodiversity change in a range of aquatic systems; Develop cost-effective indicators and protocols to monitor impacts of and recovery from pollution; Establish networks of sites of differing levels of contamination for future strategic research; Initial assessment of likely impacts of loss of elements of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning;
- Train young researchers in biodiversity research (sampling design, identification of biota, etc).
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