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ECOFACT ECOFACT | Marine Ecology | Offshore Wind Farms | Aquaculture

We provide a wide range of marine ecological assessments for estuarine, intertidal, subtidal and offshore habitats..

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Marine Ecology

Marine ecology assessment is one of the principle services offered by ECOFACT. The island coastline of the Island of Ireland and its marine habitats provide important commercial, amenity and biodiversity functions. Many coastal areas are now designated within the Natura 2000 network of European protection sites (SACs & SPAs); these may include estuarine, intertidal, subtidal and offshore habitats listed on Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive (1992). ECOFACT services in the marine environment encompass habitat and biotope surveys of the coastal zone, the intertidal zone and the subtidal zone. All survey, sampling and impact assessment methodologies are according to current Irish and international protocol and are carried out by ECOFACT staff.

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Projects that may require marine surveys include:

  • Offshore wind farms and associated infrastructure
  • Harbours, jetties and slipways
  • Waste water treatment plants and discharge licences
  • Coastal zone management, coastal realignment and erosion protection projects
  • Scientific surveys and monitoring
  • Coastal and offshore wind and renewable energy developments
  • Aquaculture licensing
  • Dredging operations
  • Land reclamation
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Key marine services provided by ECOFACT include:

  • Transitional waters and estuarine ecological assessments including fisheries and protected species assessments, botanical surveys and aquatic biological communities assessments
  • Intertidal surveys including shoreline transects, quadrat surveys, core sampling (including the processing, identification and interpretation of biological communities encountered)
  • Benthic subtidal surveys including faunal identification, enumeration, infaunal grab and core sampling
  • Coastal habitats and biological assessments, coastal zone management including erosion and storm protection, engineering and infrastructural developments, discharge monitoring
  • Chemical water quality assessments including the sampling and interpretation of results
  • Coastal habitat assessments and habitat mapping
  • Marine and coastal bird surveys
  • Sediment sampling (grabs, cores) from freshwater or marine environments can be carried out by ECOFACT and analysis for particle size, microbiological/bacteriological counts, heavy metals and other contaminants carried out

If you are interested in finding out more about our marine ecology consultancy services, please contact info@ecofact.ie.

Current News Stories:

  • Bats surveys for wind turbines – new guidance

    Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) published new guidance in January 2019 for bats surveys at wind farm sites. These new guidelines are entitled “Bats and onshore wind turbines – survey, assessment and mitigation”. The document incorporates findings from the latest research on the impact of wind farms on bats.  It is endorsed by all the statutory […]

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  • Non-volant mammal surveys 2019

    We are one of the leading companies in Ireland providing mammal surveys and assessments. We provide expert advise on both bats and terrestrial non-volant (i.e. non-flying) mammals. We undertake surveys for all terrestrial non-volant mammal species in Ireland, including Badger, Otter, Red Squirrel, Pine Marten, and non-native American Mink, among others. Our staff are fully […]

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  • Filming a documentary on Sea Lampreys

    We were delighted to work recently with BBC Earth on a documentary on Sea Lampreys Petromyzon marinus. The filming took place during early-June 2017 on the old River Shannon at Castleconnell, Co Limerick. This is part of the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation, and Sea Lampreys are a key conservation interest of this […]

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  • Major new book – Wildlife and Wind Farms

    A major new book will be published in May 2017 entitled ‘Wildlife and Wind Farms: Conflicts and Solutions’. Volume 1 of this book includes a chapter prepared by Ecofact Principal Ecologist Dr. William O’Connor. The two-volume set provides a comprehensive overview of the interactions between wind farms and wildlife, each volume dedicated to one of the two […]

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  • Surveying wintering birds in the Irish Midlands

    Our staff are currently undertaking a number of wintering bird surveys in the Irish Midlands. Here we have provided some photos and videos from bird surveys we undertook during December 2015. Our bird surveys are undertaken to inform both the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) reports being prepared for proposed wind energy […]

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