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Fair Seas Research Finds Half of Irish Waters are More Resilient to Effects of Global Warming

14th March 2024
'A Climate-resilient Path for Ireland's Marine Protected Areas' - pictured are Jack O’Donovan Trá, Fair Seas Communications Officer; Dr Donal Griffin, Fair Seas coordinator; and Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer for The Irish Wildlife Trust
'A Climate-resilient Path for Ireland's Marine Protected Areas' - pictured are Jack O’Donovan Trá, Fair Seas Communications Officer; Dr Donal Griffin, Fair Seas coordinator; and Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer for The Irish Wildlife Trust Credit: Conor Ó Mearáin

Irish marine areas that can promote biodiversity in the face of worsening climate change have been identified in a new report by Fair Seas, a coalition of leading environmental NGOs and networks. The report commissioned research to determine the areas of Ireland's marine environment that have the best chance of preserving ocean species and habitats for decades to come.

The research predicts that all Irish inshore waters will be under pressure from climate change by the end of the century. The report is expected to aid in the selection process for Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Ireland. The long-awaited legislation is at an advanced stage of drafting and is due to be published in the coming weeks.

Rising sea temperatures can cause fish and other species found in Irish waters to move to cooler northern latitudesRising sea temperatures can cause fish and other species found in Irish waters to move to cooler northern latitudes

According to ecologists, researchers, and data scientists from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), over half of Irish waters host climate change sanctuaries, areas that are more resilient to the effects of climate change. The majority of these areas are offshore and overlap with sites previously identified as 'Areas of Interest' for MPA designation by Fair Seas.

Last year, marine heatwaves struck Ireland and other parts of the world, serving as a stark reminder of the effects of climate change. Rising sea temperatures can cause fish and other species found in Irish waters to move to cooler northern latitudes. Marine Protected Areas offer a significant opportunity to preserve biodiversity for future generations, and it is essential to carefully manage and monitor the areas showing the greatest resilience to these adverse effects.

The report, titled 'A Climate-resilient Path for Ireland's Marine Protected Areas,' is part of 'Revitalising Our Seas report: Identifying Areas of Interest for Marine Protected Area Designation in Irish Waters,' which Fair Seas published in June 2022. The new chapter was authored by Ana M. Queirós, Elizabeth Talbot, Susan Kay, Sevrine Sailley, and Jose A Fernandes. It is available to read on the Fair Seas website.

This work was supported by a Call for Knowledge as part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Climate Change and Future Marine Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (FutureMARES) and further supported by NERC/ESRC through the project Marine Spatial Planning Addressing Climate Effects.

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Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!