Lough Hyne and Scientific Research
Lough Hyne is an important location for research into marine biology and environmental sciences. The Lough Hyne Timeline outlines the history of scientific investigations at Lough Hyne from 1847 to the present day.
Current Research at Lough Hyne
Universities from Aberdeen, Belfast, London and Oregon, to name a few, are currently undertaking studies here, or have done in the past.
Some of most recent research at the Lough include studies of:
- the declining number of purple sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus). These have been studied and documented for a long time.
- the impact of Austrominius modestus, an invasive species of barnacle, on native species
- nutrient-rich (eutrophication) waters. Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water causes a dense growth of plant life, and is frequently caused by run-off from the land.
- eradicating Sargassum muticum, an invasive brown alga that first entered the Lough in 2003.
Some studies require large data sets to be gathered over a long period of time. Scientists such as Cynthia Trowbridge, Colin Little, Ruth Ramsay and Penny Sterling have been studying different aspects of the Lough for over 30 years.