Boosting efforts to protect marine life around Northern Ireland
We've been training recreational divers and snorkellers to document underwater habitats and species for over 30 years through Seasearch, with the project playing a vital role in marine conservation efforts across the UK.
We’re deeply grateful for the generous support received from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Environment Fund 2023-2028 towards Seasearch in Northern Ireland. This will enable us to better understand and document the vast array of marine life around our shores – which is essential in order to protect them.
The funding will significantly enhance our outreach and training programs in Northern Ireland, enabling us to engage more individuals in marine conservation. By providing the necessary resources and training to identify and record species, we aim to empower volunteers to protect our unique marine environment.
In Northern Ireland, our various species and location-specific reports have provided essential data that inform conservation efforts across the region, with our achievements underscoring the impact of community involvement in marine conservation.
We recommended a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) to protect the vital seagrass bed at Redbay, highlighting the importance of this habitat for biodiversity, nutrient cycling and sediment dynamics. Our subsequent consultation response contributed to the establishment of a wider MCZ network in Northern Ireland, ensuring further protection for our marine environments.
The data collected by our passionate Seasearch volunteers plays a crucial role in understanding species population trends and assessing the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems. Thanks to the support of our funders, we can continue to build on this invaluable work, ensuring that future generations can explore and appreciate the rich biodiversity beneath our waters.
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