Water temperatures damaging fish stocks in two of our most famous rivers
At Lough Feeagh in Co. Mayo the highest temperatures in 70 years, when recording began, have been seen.
Sea temperatures off the western and southern coasts were so high they constituted a marine heat wave and some of our most famous salmon rivers – the Moy and Erriff – were closed due to the escalating warmth in the water which is stressful to fish. Cows on the shores of Lough Feeagh, county Mayo, Ireland. Pic: Shutterstock
Lough Feeagh provides a testing area for biologists from the Marine Institute, who have been monitoring the rising temperatures and observing how Atlantic salmon have been adapting.
Marine biologists Dr Elvira de Eyto and Dr Joshka Kaufmann explained how warming of the seas will affect Atlantic salmon.
They collect water samples for testing and carry out analyses 'pretty quickly'. Dr de Eyto explained to RTÉ's Countrywide that the lake is probably one of the most monitored in Ireland by accident.
'The lake would be monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and also by the Marine Institute as (both) have a long history there since the 1950s. Water temperatures are damaging fish stocks in two of our most famous rivers, marine scientists have discovered. Pic: Shutterstock
'The two channels here lead out to the Atlantic and every migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon, brown trout and European eel,' she Rivers said. All three of the fish closed: types are counted by the Atlantic.' staff of the Marine Institute salmon twice a day.
'We need the environmental data to support the fish data such as water temperature, the oxygen in the water, the chemistry of the rivers, the food sources – all the things that might change how a fish is reacting.
'Data was taken in 2015 as part of global lake temperature collaboration and one of the papers we used showed signs of warming, and now 10 years on in 2025 we see that rate increasing.
'It shows that the water temperature is increasing 0.2 degrees per decade. The scientists had seen the water temperatures increasing late last month when it was warm for the time of year. Pic: Shutterstock
'That is 1.4 degrees in seven decades. And [with] our winter warming by 0.3 degrees, we are not seeing those really cold temperatures which are needed,' Dr de Eyto said.
The scientists had seen the water temperatures increasing late last month when it was warm for the time of year.
'We were seeing temperatures of 15, 16, 17C degrees in the hatchery where we run some breeding programs which are really high for May and much higher than we would expect and the temperature off the coast was three degrees warmer than normal.
'What was happening at sea was being mirrored in Lough Feeagh,' Dr de Eyto said. 'The warmest months are August or September and the coolest February or March. This year the colder months have not really cooled the water as much as we would have liked to see.
'All these ecosystems are not separate; they are all interlinked from the top of mountains right out to the Atlantic.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
3 hours ago
- Agriland
Tillage: Potential of hybrid rye as mainstream cereal crop in Ireland
Hybrid rye crops offer high yield potential for the future under Irish conditions, according to Teagasc research officer, Dr Richie Hackett, The Teagasc representative said knowledge of the cereal's agronomy has improved considerably over recent years. Since its arrival on the Irish cropping scene in 2018, the area planted under winter rye has increased slowly to approximately 3,000ha in 2024, with the bulk of these crops being hybrids – varieties claimed to be less susceptible to the fungus ergot. To provide farmers with the confidence and tools needed to grow rye, Hackett said that extensive trial work is ongoing at Teagasc's Oak Park, with the aim of producing a guide to growing rye by 2026. Early results of this research have been promising. Rye yields have matched or outperformed winter wheat yields across a number of trial sites, the higher resistance to ergot claim has held true thus far, and rye crops achieved peak yield at lower nitrogen inputs per hectare than winter wheat varieties. Hackett also highlighted the resilience of hybrid rye in comparison to other crops. He said: 'Rye also benefits from having a longer sowing window. "Planting can occur from the middle of September right through to the middle of November, but ideally planting should be finished by mid-October. 'Our research has shown that hybrid rye varieties typically experience much lower levels of disease pressure than winter barley or wheat. " Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) can occur, but its effect on yield of rye is much less than that of barley even when sown early, while the crop is less inclined to be affected by take-all disease.' Farmers wanting to grow rye in 2025/26 are being urged to find a market for the harvested grain prior to planting. "The grain can be included in all ruminant rations. However, it is particularly suited to pig and poultry diets,' Hackett explained. Rye can also be used directly in a number of human food options - for example, the popularity of bread made from rye flour is growing fast. In addition, a number of Irish distillers are currently developing whiskies made from rye grains. Rye is similar to wheat in terms of its appearance, although the seeds have a longer and more slender profile. Large quantities of the cereal are fed to pigs in a range of European countries, including Germany, Denmark, and Poland. Hybrid rye can also be grown as a wholecrop silage. When used in this regard, forage quality is pretty close to that achieved from the best maize crops. Silages made from forage rye are used to fuel anaerobic digesters across Europe.
Agriland
2 days ago
- Agriland
Time of Sampling May Affect Eu Soil Health Monitoring Study
An organisation that is building a comprehensive map of European soils and their condition is warning that the EU's Soil Monitoring Law may be omitting a vital factor in assessing soil health in the bloc. The EU plans to record and map the various soil types and soil health throughout the bloc, as envisaged through its proposed Soil Monitoring Law. The law will make the monitoring of soil health mandatory, as part of efforts to have all soils in a healthy condition by 2050, in line with the EU Zero Pollution ambition. Article 31 of the draft law states: "It is therefore appropriate to lay down criteria for sampling points that are representative of the soil condition under different soil types, climatic conditions, and land use." The three variables mentioned will play a vital role in deciding where soils should be sampled in the vast area that the EU covers. However, evidence is now emerging that a fourth variable should also be included and that is the time of sampling, which could significantly affect the results and render the overall picture inaccurate if not included. The warning comes from an article published by AI 4 Soil Health, an organisation which is building a comprehensive map of European soils and their condition. Soil sampling is the only way to really get to know a soil. Image: Petrol Post Driver The author, Dr. Peter Lehmann of ETH University Zurich, makes reference to a study carried out in Switzerland which notes how water-absorbing capabilities of soils can very throughout the year, depending on weather patterns. Although the research was carried out in natural forest, the findings indicate that all soils - wherever their location and use - will be subject to similar influences. If these factors are not included in the final analysis for monitoring soil health, then the AI $ Soil Health map will likely fail to be within the 5% margin of error required by the EU. The research demonstrated that the health of the soil can change significantly during dry summer months. A water repellent layer can form at the surface as the organic chemistry of this zone changes in response to prolonged drought. Soil can appear less healthy when dry Those tending the land are well aware of this affect, as a summer shower will often not be absorbed by the soil, it takes a good soak for the soil to start absorbing the water. It is the top 2cm that are responsible for this, which can give healthy, well-structured soil a water-resistant cap that adversely affects essential soil functions further on down the soil profile. A further aspect of the soil function studied was the action of two extracellular soil enzymes that play an important role in the decomposition of organic carbon compounds and how they might be affected by soil conditions. The study showed that one enzyme was more affected by the soil moisture while the other responded more to soil temperature,. This reinforced the notion that weather patterns can distort our present assessments of soil health, and may have been doing so for some time. The depth and type of cultivation may alter the soil's response to drought and so effect its apparent health Dr. Lehmann concluded that the timing of measurements is crucial and depends on which specific soil functions are being assessed. He also notes that another key lesson is the importance of where measurements are taken. "The top surface layer plays a critical role in determining whether a soil can provide essential services like water storage and support for plant growth, or whether it should be considered unhealthy." he notes. Just on this last point, the sun wheel-type implements that are sold as mechanical weeders here in Ireland are marketed as crust-breaking tools on the continent and said to work well as such when used in dry periods. Sun wheel implements will keep the layer of soil open for rain to penetrate. It is perhaps the disturbance of this water-repellent top layer of soil that is the secret to their success in drier areas of the EU, making them generally superfluous here in damper conditions.
Agriland
2 days ago
- Agriland
Carbery Teams Up with European Agency to Trial New Methane Reducing Tech
Carbery has teamed up with the European climate innovation agency, Climate KIC, to trial "next-generation methane-reducing technologies" on 10 additional dairy farms in west Co. Cork. The research project has secured financial backing of €700,000 and will see the 10 farms trial new technologies, such as a treatment for improving manure management and satellite technology to map biodiversity and expand the research which is already underway as part of the Farm Zero C initiative. The Carbery group, together with BiOrbic, are among the key partners in the Farm Zero C project which aims to "create a climate-neutral, economically-viable dairy farm". The working farm acts a "living lab" for not just researchers but also farmer and policy makers. It has already trialed a number of innovations including carbon sequestration, renewable energy, low-emission slurry spreading, feed additives, regenerative agriculture, and improved herd and nutrient management. According to Enda Buckley, director of sustainability for Carbery, Farm Zero C, demonstrates that cutting emissions and maintaining profitability "can go hand-in-hand". Buckley also believes that Carbery 's FutureProof sustainability bonus - where farmers are paid a premium to "implement certain sustainability initiatives" "on their farms - also provides firsthand proof of what works. He said the new trial will give the group the opportunity "to bring these practical solutions to more farmers, faster.' According to Carbery, the project with Climate KIC will prioritise 'ready now' innovations, to reduce methane emissions rapidly "while retaining profitability". These technologies will be selected by Carbery and participating farmers and will include the Galway-based, Glasport's Bio's Slurry Abate system which "reduces methane, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and other gaseous emissions". The first year of the new Carbery, Climate KIC project will focus on trialling technologies, "building collaboration with the first 10 farmers", collecting baseline data, and developing viable financial and narrative models. In year two, the project will be scaled, and a second farmer cohort added. According to John O'Donoghue, who is participating in the new trial, farmers have already seen "what works on one farm, as part of Farm Zero C". "This project is about taking what has been tested on one farm, and bringing it to more of them. "We will see then what works practically and what will actually make a difference to the average farmer," he added. Separately, Carbery's Farm Zero C and Climate KIC's Deep Demonstration programmes are also looking at funding models and financial supports to make methane-reduction technologies more affordable for farmers.
