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Project title

Saltmarsh Angiosperm Assessment Tool Ireland (SMAATIE)

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Botanical, Environmental and Conservation (BEC) Consultants Ltd

Lead Applicant

Philip Perrin

Project Abstract

The Saltmarsh Angiosperm Assessment Tool for Ireland (SMAATIE) project is an eight month desk study that will, through collation and analysis of available data on Irish saltmarshes, develop and apply a tool for ecological status assessment of the angiosperm Biological Quality Element in coastal and transitional waters for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The tool will be developed following assessment of similar tools used by other Member States in the Northeast Atlantic Geographical Intercalibration Group. Potential metrics for inclusion in the tool will be investigated addressing the required aspects of abundance, composition and disturbance sensitive taxa, and will examine historical, recent and current habitat extent, community zonation and angiosperm taxa diversity. Draft versions of the tool will be tested in the context of available data on environmental pressures. The finalised tool will be applied to a representative sample of Irish water bodies containing saltmarsh habitat and a national Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) will be calculated. The SMAATIE project will facilitate Ireland�s involvement in the last round of intercalibration with other Members States. Guidance and recommendations will be made on the timing and methodology of data collection for ongoing monitoring purposes and will ensure the State is WFD-compliant in this regard. The SMAATIE project outputs will include a fully detailed final report, a non-technical synthesis report also serving as a practitioner�s guide, and a two-page summary for disseminating to stakeholders. Other project outputs will include an Ecological Quality Ratio calculator in Excel format and GIS habitat extent reference maps in ESRI shapefile format. A webpage for the project will be created and maintained, a dissemination event will be held for stakeholders, and an oral conference presentation will be made. Two papers will be published in peer-reviewed journals, covering application of the tool to Irish water bodies and analysis of saltmarsh communities.

Grant Approved

�49,165.36

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

Improve our Knowledge on the State of our Water Resources and Pressures

Start Date

11/11/2013

Initial Projected Completion Date

11/07/2014