admin1
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 Posted:
21.07.10, 2.11pm Dunree effort watch secure |
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July 2010 : Fort Dunree
The Irish Whale and Dolphin group has been awarded a new contract by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to continue its effort based watches on significant cetacean monitoring headlands around the Irish coastline. This secures the future of the headland watches for another 3 years 2010 - 2013 and also introduces a number of new data collection methods.
The headland watches including Donegal's only watch site at Fort Dunree, Lough Swilly have become important focal points for cetacean monitoring nationally. They provide the iwdg with a measurable data set, which can be thoroughly and scientifically analysed. Importantly the data set allows real time conclusions to be drawn on changes in species movements, destiny and/or distributions over time.
Over the past five years the Fort Dunree watch has significantly raised the public profile of cetaceans on Lough Swilly and around the Inishowen coastline, while also providing important information on the movements and seasonal peaks of particular species in the area. Porpoise are by far the most common species seen with Bottlenose dolphins also common. Common dolphin, Minke whale and Risso's dolphin have all been seen through the watches as well as Basking sharks and sunfish. Important behavioural records have been logged at the site including the chasing of porpoise by a number of juvenile bottlenose dolphins.
Random sightings by members of the public and vessel based photo I.D. are still the mainstay of the iwdg but effort watches also play an important dependable year round role for the organisation. If you would like to find out more or conduct an effort watch please log onto www.iwdg.ie .
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