• UCC is the highest performing institute in the Environmental Protection Agency Research Call Awards 2023.
• Funded research covers a wide range of areas covering climate change, coastal zone management and freshwater ecosystems.
• Three innovative research projects at UCC’s Department of Geography will support policy and decision-making addressing environmental challenges.

A technology to protect vulnerable coastal habitats, an all-island climate action partnership and a project to safeguard freshwater resources have received funding of €1.75m from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Research Call Awards

The three projects, led by researchers from the Department of Geography at University College Cork (UCC), are among eight UCC projects receiving funding of €3.7 million.

The EPA Research Call provides support for innovative research projects that will support policy and decision making, while also addressing environmental, climate change and sustainability challenges.

Among the funded research projects are:

Dr Aaron Lim, UCC Department of Geography and the Environmental Research Institute

Project Title: Digital Environmental Technology for Enhanced Coastal Zone Management (DETECT)

Funding amount: €555,187

This project aims to harness the power of novel multispectral 3D structure-from-motion photogrammetry, machine learning and numerical modelling to support environmental decision-making and policy development with a focus on vulnerable coastal habitats in Ireland.

This project will develop a digital twin framework from multi-threshold data to create a state-of-art simulation system of protected habitats. This will enable high-resolution predictive modelling that can provide near-real time results, key for informed decision-making of stakeholders. The project will collaborate with Dr Larissa Macedo De Oliveira (UCC), Dr Jennifer Keenahan (UCD) and Ireland’s leading research institutions to gain actionable insights on vulnerable ecosystems whilst creating a virtual replica of the current state of the environment.

Dr Aaron Lim, Lecturer in Coastal Geomorphology, co-Director of the MSc Applied Coastal and Marine Management and Head of the Earth and Ocean Lab at UCC, said:

Our world is changing and we need to start managing our response to that for future generations. This project allows us to accurately simulate individual changes specific to the Irish coastline to proactively inform policy and planning for climate change.

 

Dr Paul Holloway, UCC Department of Geography and the Environmental Research Institute

Project Title: TALX2 - Place-Based Climate Action Partnerships

Project Co-Leads: Dr Jane McCullough (Northern Ireland Environment Link)

Funding amount: €596,503

Ambitious climate action, that takes a whole of society approach, is urgently needed as tipping points in the climate system continue to be approached at an accelerating pace, threatening to cause profound physical and socio-economic changes.

By adopting a place-based and multi-stakeholder-led partnership approach, TALX2 will foster stronger communication and collaboration between stakeholders across the island of Ireland, utilising and exchanging innovative data and knowledge on climate action, empowering local actors, and enhancing the ability of communities to plan for an uncertain future, and realise opportunities for sustainable development.

The proposed research will use place-based partnerships to build skills and capacity, and establish long-term, all-island relationships, while leveraging opportunities for climate action that are inclusive and holistic. TALX2 will also employ reflective learning processes to ensure that learnings can be shared and used by communities to support climate action across Ireland, in line with national priorities for addressing climate change impacts, as outlined by both the National Adaptation Framework (NAF) for Ireland and the Northern Ireland (NI) Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP).

Dr Paul Holloway, Senior Lecturer in Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Ecology at UCC, said:

The development of climate action strategies will be futile if the voices of communities are not fairly represented. This research will support the development of a knowledge base and toolkit that is necessary to ensure successful place-based partnerships to implement adaptation actions.

Dr Michelle McKeown, UCC Department of Geography and the Environmental Research Institute

Project Title: Carbon and catchments - Understanding the Impacts and Sources of Carbon Export from land to water (C-UISCE)

Funding amount: €599,997

Carbon in water is a natural and essential component of waterbodies chemical makeup. However, elevated levels of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) can lead to environmental issues. The C-UISCE project aims to improve our understanding of the sources and processes influencing the export of carbon from land to water, and its implications for water quality and aquatic ecosystem functioning. C-UISCE addresses a critical lack of DOC baseline data in catchments where agriculture, forestry and hydromorphology are significant pressures, closing existing knowledge gaps. It is anticipated that C-UISCE will radically improve our conceptual understanding of the sources and processes influencing DOC export by developing high-quality carbon baseline data and models that will enable scientists, policy makers and land managers to safeguard our freshwater resources from the impacts of climatic and environmental change.

Dr Michelle McKeown, Lecturer in Environmental Geography and Principal Investigator at the Environmental Research Institute, said:

Water is among Ireland's most valuable resources. The C-UISCE project aims to safeguard our freshwater through improving our understanding of carbon loss from land to water. Increasing amounts of carbon in water as a consequence of climate change will pose challenges for the provision of safe drinking water and maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems. In light of this, understanding carbon in water has never been more important.

Announcing the awards, Laura Burke, EPA Director General said:

Scientific research and innovation are playing an increasingly important role in informing how governments and society can respond to the challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation. The projects announced today will address knowledge gaps, both current and future, to provide robust evidence to support the implementation of effective environmental policies in Ireland.

Professor John Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said:

I would like to thank the Environmental Protection Agency for continuing to award talented researchers that allows them, through scientific research and innovation, to tackle critical environmental, climate, health, and sustainability issues. These awards will further strengthen UCC’s position as a recognised global leader in the field of Sustainability. Aligned to UCC Futures – Sustainability, these projects will enable UCC researchers to support environmental policies in Ireland, address key societal challenges caused by climate change, and help deliver a healthier environment for all.