Local people invited to take part in Dundalk Bay survey

People in Dundalk are being asked to consider taking part in a study conducted by iCRAG, the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences based at University College Dublin.

The project, called, ‘Taking Stock’ aims to study people’s perceptions of Dundalk Bay, especially the area more than 5 km from the coast that is no longer visible to the naked eye, and what people think of mud on the seabed.

The researchers previously conducted interviews and focus groups and are now following up with a survey distributed among the wider community.

The survey is anonymous and will focus on a person's relationship with Dundalk Bay and how they think the bay should be managed in the future.

It is open for input from adults living in the Dundalk Bay area (anywhere along the coast, from the Cooley Peninsula down to Clogherhead, including towns like Dundalk, Blackrock, Annagassan).

Researchers say they want to include community voices in the future management of Dundalk and that by adding your voice, you help researchers understand what the bay means and how it can be managed.

The results of the survey will be shared with policymakers in the area to help inform future decision-making.

A spokesperson said:

“We are working with residents of Dundalk and Clogherhead to understand their ideas and concerns on these topics. For example, what does Dundalk Bay mean to people? And how should mud on the seabed be managed in this area?

“An important goal of Taking Stock is to share our results with people in the community, government and industry.
“In this way, we can make sure that the voices of local residents are heard when decisions are made on the future of Dundalk Bay and nearby marine areas.”

Taking Stock is linked to a larger project called Quest. Researcher Mark Coughlan explains:

“Ireland has a large marine area that can store a lot of carbon in mud on the seabed.

“However, we are just starting to understand how this works and we do not know how much carbon is currently stored in the seabed, or how much there was in the past.

“Meanwhile, Ireland’s seabed is under increasing pressure because of human activities, for example wind farm development and fishing. It is also affected by climate change.

“To fully understand the importance of mud on the seabed for carbon storage, and to sustainably manage this ecosystem, we must study these muds closely.

“The Quest project team brings together experienced researchers to do this work.

“An important goal of the project is to provide advice on the sustainable management of Ireland’s offshore environment.

“This may include creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), or other ways to realise the Government’s Climate Action Plan and its commitment to a clean, healthy and diverse marine environment.

“Quest will also engage with the public to understand people’s perceptions of mud on the seabed, for example through Taking Stock.”

You can complete the survey using this link: https://bit.ly/dundalkbaysurvey