Bird predation on mussels in conflict with aquaculture in special protected areas

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: FMBI983221

Project closed

Start date 1 November 1998

End date 31 October 1999

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Total cost No data

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Ireland

Objective

Research objectives and content
In Ireland, recently important areas for wintering birds are designated Special Protected Area and are protected under European and national low. Several sites are also important areas for shellfish cultivation. Field data on the interactions between bird populations and the intertidal mussel beds is limited, especially in Ireland. Essential research into these interactions is necessary to be able to develop a management plan for a sustainable use of these shellfish areas. The aim of this project is to give an overview over the conflicts occurring between aquaculture and nature conservation in the different Special Protected Areas. In selected areas, the interactions between bird and mussel populations will be studied in detail. Estimations of the mussel consumption through birds will be made, its effect on the mussel populations and its relation to other elimination factors will be evaluated. The effect of size selection of the different bird predators and the flexibility in the food composition of each bird species will be studied. Ultimately, recommendations for a sustainable management plan will be made.
Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
Young scientists will learn to apply different field and laboratory methods appropriate for this research field. They will learn how to evaluate predation effects by birds on mussel populations and how to adapt their model to the local situation.
Links with industry / industrial relevance (22)
There are links with shellfish cultivation. The aim is to advise the industry of shellfish cultivation in order to have less impact on the natural environment in Special Protected Areas in Ireland.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.

• agricultural sciences › agriculture, forestry, and fisheries › fisheries
• natural sciences › biological sciences › zoology › ornithology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biological behavioural sciences › ethology › biological interactions

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Programme(s)

• FP4-TMR - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of the training and mobility of researchers, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0304 - Grants to established researchers
• TL15 - Population Sciences (inc.Ecology, Evolutionary Sc., Biodiversity & Conserva.)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Lee Maltings, Prospect Row ; 30 CORK ; Ireland
• Total cost: No data