During 2000-2001 the Marine Institute, the national agency charged with responsibility for co-ordinating marine research in Ireland, participated in an Interreg IIc Project - MAYA - Marinas and Yachting in the North West Metropolitan Area. A key objective of this European project was to develop a spatial vision for marina developments in a city, estuary and sensitive coastal environments. As part of this project, the Institute commissioned a study of Waterford Estuary, which would: (1)assess the socio-economic impact of Waterford city marina; (2)develop a strategy for increasing marine leisure activity within the estuary; (3)propose guidelines for planning new marina developments.

Clean Seas/Clean Coasts was an INTERREG IIA partnership project between Keep Wales Tidy and Coastwatch Ireland. The ultimate aim of the project was to reduce the input of marine litter and oil to the Irish Sea and onto the shores of the West Coast of Wales and the East Coast of Ireland. This was to be achieved by litter awareness raising events, collecting of marine litter/ oil data and disseminating information on impacts of marine pollution, as well as legislation on marine waste management and best practice prevention. In this context, partners jointly focussed on port waste plans and facilities.

The Irish Sea Science Co-ordination Group (ISSCG) identified human impacts on the coastal zone as a priority area for collaborative Irish Sea marine environmental research and protection (Boelens, 1995). The identification of trends in human use of the coastal zone is considered to be an essential prerequisite to better planning of measures to manage particular activities. The study presented here on trends in human activity in coastal zones of the Maritime INTERREG II region of the southern Irish Sea was carried out by the Coastal Resources Centre (CRC) in University College, Cork, and the Centre for Research into Environment and Health (CREH) in the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. The study considered aspects of development and human impacts within the coastal zone. Once trends relating to human activities were identified, and where possible quantified, associated impacts and issues were also assessed and quantified. Trends and impacts were identified by sector, in keeping with the format adopted in the environmental assessment report entitled Ireland’s Marine and Coastal Areas and adjacent Seas (Boelens et al., 1999). Sectoral trends examined in the present study included those in demography, development, tourism, urbanisation, marine pollution, offshore resources, etc. The attributes of the associated data were assessed in relation to the purposes for which they are used, and gaps and limitations were identified. Recommendations on appropriate management measures necessary to promote sustainable use of coastal zones were made. In actuality, data on human impacts on the coastal zone of the Irish Sea are not available in an integrated form. Agencies involved in making policy decisions or in managing the use of coastal marine resources often experience difficulties in obtaining reliable information on key factors. During the preparation of this report, data were difficult to source, and when sourced they were rarely in a format suitable for analysis with regard to relevance to the coastal zone. The study concluded that the quality of information available is variable and not conducive to a systematic, comparative analysis of combined impacts of activities on the coastal zone. The information and statistics that are collected by state agencies are intended to meet the needs of specific sectoral or geographical interests, and are not necessarily appropriate for extrapolation to issues of relevance to the coastal zone. The lack of availability of information in a format suitable for assessing the characteristics of the coastal zone as an entity may be indicative of the lack of recognition, on both sides of the Irish Sea, of coastal zone management as a discipline. This limitation is identified in the draft coastal zone management policy for Ireland (Brady Shipman Martin, 1997) as the principal element to be addressed for effective future planning. The findings of the current project suggest that this limitation remains. Similarly in Wales, no single body is responsible for coastal zone management. Neither is there an agreed framework within which policy and planning can be properly integrated. Without such a thematic focus in either country it is difficult to ensure the collection and collation of pertinent data and information. Such information is imperative for making effective policy and management decisions for the coastal zone of the Irish Sea. Throughout this study, differences with regard to issues of relevance to the Irish and Welsh coasts became apparent. For example, the Welsh coast has not experienced the same extent of population pressures, development, resort renewal, habitat loss etc. commonplace in Ireland. In comparison, Wales has several coastal fora that provide a focus for co-operation between regulatory agencies and local stakeholders; this concept is as yet undeveloped in Ireland. The report assesses the impact of human activities on the coastal zone and contains recommendations related to data and information needs for effective coastal zone management, as well as sector-specific recommendations. Implementation of the recommendations of the project will be of benefit to the work of policy makers, resource managers and planners with responsibilities in the coastal zone, on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Prerequisites for successful seabird reproduction are secure nesting sites, reliable food supply and reasonable weather. In late 1996, Maritime Ireland / Wales INTERREG Programme agreed to fund a three year programme focussed on research and conservation action at Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii breeding colonies in the Irish Sea under Measure 1.3: “Protection of the Marine and Coastal Environment and Marine Emergency Planning”. All the colonies in the area were included: Rockabill, Lady’s Island Lake, the Dalkey Islands (all in Ireland) and Ynys Feurig, Skerries, Cemlyn Bay and Inland Sea (all on Anglesey in Wales). This report reviews progress at these colonies and gives more detail on the research carried out at the core breeding population at Rockabill and to a lesser extent at Lady's Island Lake.

The coastal zone is characteristically a turbid region of the sea with water clarity being an indicator of coastal dynamics. Turbidity affects water quality and aesthetic value. Previous investigations into water clarity in the Irish Sea have been conducted using imagery obtained from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Good correlations were found between light reflectance and suspended sediment concentrations from this imagery. In order to investigate suspended sediment concentrations in the coastal zone, an area where satellite imagery does not ‘see well’, scientists from NUI, Galway, UW, Bangor and Compass Informatics Ltd. undertook a feasibility study to investigate the possibilities of using both in situ and airborne digital cameras to monitor water clarity in the coastal zone. The digital cameras capture visible spectrum imagery with assigned values for red, green and blue light, thus making a quantifiable measurement of the up-welling light of different colours in a similar manner to the UW, Bangor Ocean Colour Sensor used in this project and a previous INTERREG Project (White et al.; 2000). As suspended sediment concentrations were found to correlate well with in situ digital camera output values, it was anticipated that the camera would provide a successful method of monitoring Suspended Particulate Material (SPM) at fixed locations over a predetermined time period. In practice aerial imagery did not prove to be a feasible method for SPM monitoring in the type of dynamic coastal environment under this particular survey. A combination of sun glint, sky reflectance interference, strong tidal currents and time lapse between imagery capture and in situ data collection made the calibration of images very difficult. On the positive side, it was found that aerial imagery is ideally suited to observing coastal dynamical phenomena such as river plume development. These near shore dynamical processes cannot be monitored by satellite imagery and so aerial resolution and aircraft manoeuvrability are ideal for this type of coastal zone remote sensing.

Seascape is a crucial element in any maritime nation’s sense of identity and culture. It has played an important part in the history and development of Ireland and Wales. The coast and the sea is a primary holiday and leisure location and is a significant asset in a nation’s recreational resource. The coast and related seascape is a finite resource under almost continual pressure for development. In both Ireland and Wales we are currently experiencing a period of exceptional change around our coasts. The response to sea level rise is generating more proposals for coastal defence works. We have seen the development of new ports and the upgrading of existing facilities, and proposals for aquaculture schemes have become more prevalent around some coasts. Energy strategies are giving rise to wind turbine projects off both coasts. We have also become more aware of how valuable and important our seascapes are to the character and identity of much of our countryside, towns and cities. With all of these development pressures related to the coast and the sea, a systematic approach to issues raised is now timely and essential to ensure that the decision making process has the tools to deal with the upcoming changes. For these reasons development that affects our coasts and seascapes require particular attention and care. Such consideration can best be given in a structure based upon a thorough understanding of the character and values attributable to the relevant seascapes. This guide attempts to provide a methodology to deal with the issues involved.