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Past Dissertations

Past Dissertations

 

2016 MSc Dissertations

Student

Advisor

Title
Matin Bazzazzadegan Dr Chaosheng Zhang An investigation into origins and impacts of salinity levels of soil in coastal Donegal
Michelle Curran Dr Audrey Morley Reconstructing storminess for Ireland during the Holocene
Jessep D. Englert Dr Kevin Lynch Identification and mapping of local government capacity to adapt to climate change
Donal Ó hÉanacháin Dr Terry Morley The role of plant functional indicators in assessing community responses to anthropogenic and environmental pressures in a machair system
Axel Leahy Dr Kevin Lynch Toward a bottom-up approach to integrate coastal flooding management in the context of climate change: an assessment of coastal residents flood risk perception using cognitive maps in Salthill, Co. Galway
Daithí Maguire Dr Eugene Farrell The application of Copernicus satellite-borne remote sensors for monitoring coastal erosion in Ireland
Jake Martin Dr Audrey Morley, Dr Amy Lusher (GMIT) Microplastic pollution of the Irish continental shelf
Kelda Minjon Dr Frances Fahy 'The sea is many things to many people' a critical examination of stakeholders in Irish marine and coastal planning processes: a case study of stakeholder analysis in Galway
Anna Power Dr Frances Fahy 'Pulling together the seaweed people' an evaluation of seaweed harvesting management in Ireland using stakeholder perspectives
Fatimatuj Zohara Sonny Dr Audrey Morley, Dr Amy Lusher (GMIT) Microplastic pollution in Nephrops norvegicus and their potential impact to the commercial market
Name: Matin Bazzazzadegan
Advisor: Dr Chaosheng Zhang
Year: 2016
Title: An investigation into origins and impacts of salinity levels of soil in coastal Donegal
Abstract: This thesis examines the possible origins of hotspots of sodium in the coastal soil of County Donegal, Ireland. It studies the different primary and secondary factors which may have had an influence on the presence and distribution of these hotspots. This research discovered that strong links can be drawn between the influence of the Atlantic Ocean in the form of sea spray on the distribution of sodium concentrations along the exposed western coasts of Donegal. The research also finds a strong link between land elevation and the levels of sodium in the areas examined. This was achieved through constructing and combining maps prepared in ArcGIS, where the distribution of sodium concentration in soil was examined against ocean surface wind speeds and inland elevations. As there is a direct link between the chemical composition of soil and the productivity of the land, this research also explores the hypothesis that the presence of these hotspots may indirectly influence wider issues such as the migration patterns of people in the county.
Name: Michelle Curran
Advisor: Dr Audrey Morley
Year: 2016
Title: Reconstructing storminess for Ireland during the Holocene
Abstract: Understanding modes of natural climate variability within the Holocene is essential to resolve past temperature and salinity signals. The Irish Continental Shelf provides an ideal location for an investigation of past storminess in Ireland. Elucidation of warm periods will serve as a future analogue for Ireland within a warming world. This study provides the first regionally specific climate record for Ireland during the Holocene. It presents an exploration into the linkages between ocean-atmosphere dynamics including Arctic amplification, atmospheric blocking events, and subpolar gyre fluctuations, which can significantly influence storminess in Ireland. The winter signal of bottom water temperatures and salinities are reconstructed using paired Mg/Ca– δ18O measurements of the benthic foraminifera Hyalinea balthica from a gravity core retrieved 20 km southwest of the Aran Islands, on the Irish Continental Shelf (110 m depth). The core represents 0-10 ka. The results show an increase in temperature of ~2.5 ±0.7°C, during the Holocene Thermal Maximum compared to modern shelf waters. This warming coincided with enhanced salinity, signifying an intrusion of warm, saline Atlantic waters. This study suggests this occurred as a result of ocean-atmosphere dynamics that produces an eastward shift of the Irish Shelf Front that separates Atlantic waters from the cool, less saline Irish Coastal Current. A strong Atlantic signal on the shelf is associated with increased storminess for Ireland.
Name: Jessep D. Englert
Advisor: Dr Kevin Lynch
Year: 2016
Title: Identification and mapping of local government capacity to adapt to climate change
Abstract: Ireland is currently facing the onset of climate change, bringing with it incremental sea rise, coastal implications, and dubious changes in extreme weather patterns. Defective associations amid institutions that fail in planning for environmental, political, and social changes will diminish Ireland’s capacities to adapt and increase its overall vulnerability. Unlike the past, collaborative endeavors from a multi-level, multiactor collective will be utilised in order to proactively respond to the diverse effects of oncoming climate change. The purpose of this thesis is to address the questions of: How do local authority, institutional actors perceive and identify their capacity to adapt to climate change? Can we assess their adaptive capacity based on an adjustment of the Adaptive Capacity Wheel, in and Irish context? Through extensive literature review and an adaptation of the established (ACW) by Gupta et al., (2010), 33 custom questionnaires were distributed to individuals throughout institutions within Ireland. The questions reflected the 22 criteria used to assess the 6 main dimensions of the (ACW). With the addition of standarised scoring for question types, results were easily attainable in a quantitative form. With increased time and personnel the addition of my research with the current ACW may produce firm footing for future study and assessment.
Name: Donal Ó hÉanacháin
Advisor: Dr Terry Morley
Year: 2016
Title: The role of plant functional indicators in assessing community responses to anthropogenic and environmental pressures in a machair system
Abstract: Machair, a diverse and grazed semi-natural grassland habitat, present only on the north western coasts of Ireland and Scotland, is home to many ecologically and functionally diverse species and communities. This rare habitat is protected under the Habitats Directive as a priority Annex I habitat (Code: 21A0). However, due to its historical use by humans in terms of grazing and recreation plus environmentalfactors such as erosion this finely balanced ecosystem is in danger of a decline in the quality of conditions. Through the analysis of the functional traits of the individual species that make up communities at machair sites, it is possible to derive information on the ecosystems functioning and responses to external variables. The study investigated if plant functional traits can be used as a metric to describe changes in community composition resulting from either anthropogenic or environmental change. Through analysis of the species that inhabit individual plots in this semi-natural grassland, the study tested if it is possible to derive potential shifts in community composition brought about by disturbance regimes and environmental change. The study found that over the six studied sites grazing is taking place, while results showed that at all sites functional diversity is low, mainly attributed to overgrazing and erosion effects. CSR data highlighted the controlling factors influencing the plant strategies of plants as disturbance (grazing) and environmental stressors (erosion). The implications of these results invoke the need for urgent action to combat this alarming decline in both functional diversity and machair condition. Results emphasise the need for new legislation to protect this vital grassland from being grazed all year round, as despite its need to be grazed, widespread overgrazing is occurring.
Name: Axel Leahy
Advisor: Dr Kevin Lynch
Year: 2016
Title: Toward a bottom-up approach to integrate coastal flooding management in the context of climate change: an assessment of coastal residents flood risk perception using cognitive maps in Salthill, Co. Galway
Abstract: Coastal communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events and sea level rise in Ireland. The combination of climate change effects on coastal risks with the continuous development of the coastline has provoked coastal managers to shift from traditional practices toward more sustainable forms of coastal management. It remains that in Ireland the predominance of engineered based coastal protection is still perceivable. Building resilient coastal systems in the context of a changing climate are however gaining more attention nationwide, throughout notably the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. This study was conducted among the coastal community of Salthill, Co. Galway, which has recently experienced significant damage resulting from coastal flooding events. In order to assess coastal flooding risk perception and different variables related to public participation and climate change perception, a survey was carried out among 83 residents, where respondents were asked to complete cognitive maps as well as concise questionnaires. This empirical assessment was expected to inform the author on the ability of Salthill residents to represent the spatial flood extent at a community level. In order to evaluate this representation, the cognitive maps were aggregated and a 20% level of agreement was chosen to represent the coastal flood extent on a community basis. Coastal flood extent perception at a community level (“Lay” perception) was statistically compared, using Kappa statistics, with the CFRAM coastal flood model (“Expert” perception). Results show that there was a substantial level of agreement (Kappa = 0.764) between our population and the expert assessment, suggesting that coastal planners will benefits from both the local knowledge and the technical knowledge within the coastal flood risk mapping process. Individual flood extent perceptions were also assessed in order to identify the variables that influenced residents’ flood risk perception. Residency length was found to have a significant effect on residents’ flood extent perception, whereas other socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, or education did not influence individual spatial flood perception. Results also show that residents with a higher flood extent perception were on average more willing to engage in the decision making process, more concerned with climate change, and were more likely to support adaption policy strategies as opposed to coastal resistance measures. Recommendations for coastal managers, and flood risk communicators are discussed. The opportunities for future research, with a particular focus on Participatory GIS, are also outlined.
Name: Daithí Maguire
Advisor: Dr Eugene Farrell
Year: 2016
Title: The application of Copernicus satellite-borne remote sensors for monitoring coastal erosion in Ireland
Abstract: Advances in the resolution and availability of imagery data from satellite‐borne remote sensors have presented an opportunity to utilise the data for near real‐time monitoring of coastal erosion. This dissertation evaluates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multispectral (MS) imagery that was freely acquired from the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Programme, to determine if it is of sufficient quality to use for monitoring coastal erosion. An active coastal erosion study site on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry was used to facilitate the evaluation. Images of the study site were generated from both Sentinel‐1A SAR imagery and Sentinel‐2A MS imagery. These images were compared against recent aerial photography and a recent DGPS survey of the shoreline position (acquired by others), to evaluate if the spatial accuracy and resolution is of sufficient quality to identify key features along the shoreline. The temporal resolution is determined by examining the availability of both SAR and MS imagery over an 8‐month sample period (1st January to 31st July 2016). Digital elevation models of the study site were generated from recent Sentinel‐1A SAR imagery, and elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) which was acquired in February 2000. The DEMs from the Sentinel‐1A SAR imagery were generated by interferometry techniques using the free open‐source Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP). These DEMs were evaluated by comparing them against ordnance survey data, LiDAR imagery and a recent DGPS survey of the shoreline position (acquired by others). The DEM from the SRTM was generated using QGIS (also free open‐source software). This DEM was evaluated by comparing it against archived aerial photography from the same year, and a shapefile of the position of shoreline in year 2000 which was used a baseline in the Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS).

 

Name: Jake Martin
Advisor: Dr Audrey Morley, Dr Amy Lusher (GMIT)
Year: 2016
Title: Microplastic pollution of the Irish continental shelf
Abstract: Microplastic debris is widely dispersed across marine environments. An understanding of the distribution and accumulation of this form of pollution is crucial for gauging potential effects on the environment and biotic health. Here is presented the first record of microplastic pollution of Irish continental shelf sediments and their overlaying sediment-water interfaces. Microplastics were found suspended in bottom water retrieved from the Irish seafloor as well as in marine sediments to a maximum depth of 3.5 ± 0.5 cm. Carbon dating derived age models were constructed for sediment cores examined from the Aran Grounds fishery. The sediment cores examined appeared undisturbed based on the consistency of their depositional histories. The age models indicate that microplastics are not restricted to sediments deposited within the age of plastic production, but may travel within the sediment column through material fluxes. A subset of microplastics recovered during the study were chemically analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The large quantity of nylon (polyamide) fibres encountered during the study (59% of chemically confirmed polymers) suggests that fishing gear fragmentation may have a significant influence in microplastic loading of the Irish continental shelf, in addition to other sources. All microplastics recovered during the study appeared to be derived from the breakdown of larger plastic products. An abundance of microplastics within superficial sediments and their overlaying water suggests that the benthos is at high risk of interacting with and possibly feeding on microplastics. Microplastics were similarly distributed fisheries and remote sites. Oceanographic features clearly have a large effect on the distribution of microplastics within the study area. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms influencing microplastic transport, deposition, possible resuspension and biotic interactions within marine environments at an ecological level.
Name: Kelda Minjon
Advisor: Dr Frances Fahy
Year: 2016
Title: ‘The sea is many things to many people’: a critical examination of stakeholders in Irish marine and coastal planning processes
Abstract: The governance and management of coastal and marine environments centres on the effective management of human activities. Marine planning is subsequently reliant on the effective involvement of stakeholders. Ireland has lacked an overarching coastal and marine policy. This has resulted in the highly sectorial management and planning. The introduction of new national marine spatial planning policy and with a maritime plan implementation framework under development, things may be about to drastically change. However, little is known of the involvement of stakeholders in Irish coastal and marine planning. This research sought to examine the involvement of stakeholders’ in coastal and marine planning processes, through the application of stakeholder analysis focusing on a single case study of coastal development in Galway City Ireland. Through semi-structured interviewees stakeholder preferences for involvement were uncovered. Stakeholder analysis was completed to determine the most effective means of involvement by establishing who should be involved and how they should be involved, within the context on the single case study. Additionally, analysis of interviews was suggestive of highly conflicted local coastal and marine planning practices. Based on both sets of findings tentative suggestions for generating improved stakeholder involvement are provided.
Name: Anna Power
Advisor: Dr Frances Fahy
Year: 2016
Title: ‘Pulling together the seaweed people’ an evaluation of seaweed harvesting management in Ireland using stakeholder perspectives
Abstract: In Ireland, primary and secondary seaweed products are increasingly viewed as potential growth avenues within wider national maritime development strategies. However, recent developments have shone spotlight on industry barriers and conflicts relating to harvesting management and resource access. In particular, resource control and ownership, the award of licences, harvesting methods and proposed legislative changes to the foreshore consent system have garnered significant political and national media attention within the past two years, and led to the establishment of community advocacy groups seeking to influence policy through a bottom up approach. Existing literature typically views Irish harvesting management through a particular focus – rationalistic, conservationist or social/community. This study undertook a combined analysis applying the paradigm triangle framework (Charles, 1992) to map industry conflicts and the paradigms underlying these. Stakeholder perspectives on management were seen as crucial toward understanding the world views underpinning conflicts specific to the Irish context. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve stakeholders to obtain their perspectives on key management themes and offer insights for policymakers. Results indicated stakeholders view development of the resource in a positive light provided the economic gains are felt by local communities. A co-operative movement based on international templates is one possibility in this regard. The establishment of a dedicated seaweed management authority would be helpful to resolve the apparent climate of uncertainty surrounding the licensing process and legal status of customary rights. Research and development into new technologies and methods should be accompanied by training and education initiatives to ensure all stakeholders are equipped with the skillset to realise benefits. Ecosystem-based management is essential to ensure long term resource sustainability. It is submitted that genuine commitment by policymakers to design frameworks which seek to balance all three paradigms is integral to bridging the identified trust gap in management capabilities.
Name: Fatimatuj Zohara Sonny
Advisor: Dr Audrey Morley, Dr Amy Lusher (GMIT)
Year: 2016
Title: Microplastic pollution in Nephrops norvegicus and their potential impact to the commercial market
Abstract: Microplastics, synthetic organic polymers, which are now rapidly entering the global marine environment as a pollutant, are an increasing source of concern worldwide. One to 5 mm diameter fibre, fragments and granules of plastics can be categorised as microplastics. Microplastics in the marine environment can come from both primary sources (manufactured as microplastics) and secondary sources (fragmentation of larger plastic materials). Degradation processes (photo-degradation, thermo-oxidative degradation, hydrolytic degradation and biodegradation) help to degrade the larger plastic particles. It is evident that most marine organisms ingest microplastics and there is a high percentage of microplastics in benthic sediments. These two factors made Nephrops norvegicus more susceptible to microplastics pollution, as they are bottom dwelling and filter feeding organisms; this poses a serious threat to commercial fisheries market. This study identified the possibility of microplastics contamination into the digestive tract of Nephrops norvegicus which is a valuable and commercially important species in Ireland. Nephrops were collected from the traditional fishing grounds of Galway Bay. A contemporary study also showed the evidence of the presence of microplastics in the benthic sediment of Galway Bay. In our study, 89.5% Nephrops had microplastics (an average of 2.165±1.572 microplastics in each Nephrops) in their digestive tract. The majority of the recovered microplastics were fibre (nearly 80%), however, fragments, beads and rubber were also present. The study does not indicate any temporal differences of microplastics ingestion. The study also showed that the amount of microplastics increases with stomach contents. The ingested microplastics are ultimately transferring into higher trophic level organisms through the food chain. Moreover, the additives and chemicals of the plastics can translocate from the digestive tract of Nephrops into the edible tissue which may pose a serious threat to humans. FTIR analysis revealed that the plastics are mostly polyamide and Rayon. Traditional fishing industries and sewage water from the land are likely the potential source of microplastics in Galway Bay.