UCC-led marine restoration project to receive €8m funding boost 

A UCC-led marine restoration project in Co Kerry is to receive almost €8m in funding.

Over the next five years, the Tralee Bay Marine Biodiversity Restoration Project will involve the restoration of sensitive eelgrass meadows and native oyster beds.

The project is funded and overseen by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and is led by University College Cork, working with local partners including the Tralee Oyster Society and Tralee Bay Hatchery.

The project, which is expected to run until 2031, will be based in the Tralee Bay Nature Reserve and is set to benefit wider Kerry coastal habitats, including Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, Ireland’s first national marine park.

Professor John Cryan, vice president for research and innovation at UCC, said: “UCC is proud to lead transformative research that delivers real-world solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

“The Tralee Bay Marine Biodiversity Restoration Project combines cutting-edge science with practical restoration to enhance marine biodiversity, support sustainable economic activity, and contribute to Ireland’s climate and nature goals.”

The minister of state for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Cork’s Christopher O’Sullivan, said the project is a significant investment in the future of Ireland’s coastal ecosystems.

“By bringing together research expertise from UCC with local partners in the Maharees and Tralee Bay, we can create a model that will inform and inspire similar restoration initiatives in Ireland and beyond.

“Lasting conservation success depends on people as much as habitats. 

“By working closely with local communities, schools, businesses and stakeholders, we hope to create a lasting legacy of awareness, participation and pride in these remarkable coastal environments.

“Habitat recovery is key to our nature restoration plan, and landmark projects like this act as pathfinders for how we do this at scale.”