Since 2007 the IWDG Consulting team has carried out a wide range of surveys for a diverse array of clients. You can browse a selection of the projects we’ve delivered, and download reports for some of them, below.
Masterplans
IWDG provide specialist marine mammal expertise to masterplans developed for Shannon Foynes Port Company in the Shannon Estuary and Dublin Port, both for the Alexandra Basin Re-Development and the proposed Poolbeg Re-Development (MP2) (https://www.dublinport.ie/masterplan)
Dublin Port ABR
IWDG won a six year contract to deliver the Marine Mammal Mitigation Plan for the Alexandra Basin Re-Development Project on behalf of Dublin Port. This involves passive and static acoustic monitoring and seal surveys as well as mitigating construction activities such as piling, dredging and site investigations. IWDG Consulting are also on the Master Plan 2 team for the developing the south side of the Liffey.
Marine Spatial Planning
s sub-contractors to ABPMer, IWDG are responsible for delivering the marine mammal component of a marine spatial planning audit and review for the Marine Institute.
Necropsy Project MI
In 2017, IWDG Consulting in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Vet Lab in Cork and GMIT won a contract from the Marine Institute to recover stranded dolphins and porpoise for necropsy. This is to establish the cause of death of a number of individuals for management advice.
Harbour Porpoise Surveys, NPWS
Since the first survey of the Blasket Islands SAC in 2007 on behalf of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the IWDG Consulting team has carried out dedicated line transect surveys using DISTANCE sampling at 10 sites all around Ireland, including Dublin Bay and North County Dublin, Roaringwater Bay and Islands SAC, Galway and Donegal Bays and off Fair Head in Northern Ireland and all three SACs designated for harbour porpoise (Roaringwater Bay and Islands SAC, Blasket Islands SAC and Rockabill to Dalkey Islands SAC)
The aim of these surveys was to obtain density and abundance estimates to establish their importance for harbour porpoises and lay down baselines for long-term monitoring. Reports can be downloaded from the NPWS website here and papers are published in Biology and Environment.
Baseline Marine Mammal Survey, MEER
Between 2009 and 2013 the IWDG Consulting team carried out a baseline survey of marine mammals at the Atlantic Marine Energy Site. Working in collaboration with MERC Environmental (https://www.mercenvironmental.com) and Aniar Ecology under the MEER consortium. The surveys contributed to an Environmental Impact Assessment of the marine energy test site off the Mullet peninsular. We carried out dedicated line transect surveys of the test site and adjacent area, land-based watches and passive and static acoustic monitoring. This baseline survey identified those species in the area and potentially vulnerable to the development of a wave energy test site and provide baseline data from which to determine any potential changes.
Publication on original survey is available here.
The work was being funded by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
Baseline Marine Mammal Survey, Kinsale Energy
In 2010 and 2011 IWDG Consulting was contracted by Kinsale Energy to carry out a baseline survey of the proposed pipeline from the Kinsale Gas Rigs to Power Head as part of a proposal to store gas in the old Kinsale Gas Field. We carried out land-based visual monitoring and static acoustic monitoring from May to September.
24 month Baseline Marine Mammal Survey, AFBI
In 2013 AFBI engaged the IWDG Consulting teamto provide marine mammal surveyors for a 24 month baseline survey of a potential tidal energy site in Northern Ireland. As part of this project, monthly line transect surveys of the proposed site were carried out.
Marine Mammal Bycatch Surveys, CSHMAC
The Celtic Sea Herring Management and Advisory Committee (CSHMAC) contracted the IWDG Consulting team to carry out marine mammal bycatch and discard surveys on its members’ vessels from 2011 to 2017. This fulfilled their requirements as a MSC certified fishery, and satisfied their obligations under EC Bycatch Regulation 812/2004.
MMO Training and Provision, Various Clients
The IWDG Consulting team has trained and supplied Marine Mammal Observers (MMOs) for a number of seismic surveys in Irish waters. We operate a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) panel with JNCC (Joint Nature Conservancy Council – UK) and PSO (Protected Species Observer – Gulf of Mexico) qualifications but more importantly with a knowledge of the Irish NPWS (National Parks and Wildlife Service) regulations. We have provided qualified MMOs for seismic ship surveys, and vertical seismic profiling on rigs and engineering works.
The IWDG has also provided shore-based MMOs for a number of projects including Blast Monitoring in Doolin as part of the Pier Extension, pile driving in Foynes and Howth Harbours during piling operations, dredge disposal in Cork Harbour,the Ports of Foynes and Cork and demolition and dredging in An Daingean.