Over 250 delegates from across the environmental community gathered at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast to hear about the latest research on Northern Ireland’s natural environment.
The conference, organised by Environment and Heritage Service, showcased research carried out by staff, partner organisations and contractors and spanned a wide variety of topics from particular habitats and species, to the broad issues which threaten our environment, such as climate change. The Minister said:
“Research is vital to enable us all to make informed or evidence-based decisions. Not only is this research important for decision makers, but it is also revealing lots of fascinating information about our natural environment, such as the fact that 29 new species of sponges have been discovered off the coast of Rathlin Island. Until a few years ago, nobody knew these species existed! It just goes to show how much there is still to discover about our wonderful natural environment.”
Notes to Editors:
Further information about EHS research and development 
can be found on our webpages.
Some highlights of the conference are listed below:
1. Looking back to “sea” forwards
For thousands of years, the land beneath our feet has been rebounding from the massive weight of ice which covered Northern Ireland during the last ice age. EHS recently commissioned scientists from Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Oxford to investigate how the land has risen relative to the sea over the past 5000 years. This will help us plan for future sea level rise and is the first time this approach has been undertaken in the northern part of the UK.
2. A fish eye’s view of a hidden underwater world
Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are working together to develop a 3D model of the seabed on the north coast using the latest sonar techniques. They can then take a virtual underwater flight through amazing marine landscapes, using state of the art computer programmes. This work is revealing features we didn’t know existed such as massive sandwaves on the seabed, undiscovered wrecks and hidden canyons and cliffs.
3. Cutting-edge genetic techniques reveal uniqueness of Irish Hare
The Irish Hare is a flagship species, long associated with folklore and legend. For some time it had been suspected that the Irish Hare was distinct from other hares because of differences in its behaviour and appearance. When EHS, in collaboration with the National Parks and Wildlife Service commissioned scientists at Queen’s University, Belfast to investigate this further, they revealed that the Irish Hare was indeed genetically distinct and recommended that its status should be changed to reflect its unique genetic character.
4. Bees in your Backyard
Bees perform a vital job, pollinating all kinds of plants - in fact, every fourth mouthful of food you eat wouldn’t exist without bees! However, scientists have discovered that a third of Ireland’s bees are now endangered. Bee experts at Queen’s University, Belfast and Trinity College, Dublin have been working hard to highlight the importance of bees and the need to conserve them. Indeed, one Belfast scientist knows every bee in his backyard individually – each bee has a unique numbered tag on its back, so he can track its movements and find out more about bee behaviour.
5. Could climate change have reduced diving duck numbers on Lough Neagh?
The decline of our wintering diving duck on Lough Neagh has been dramatic. Twenty years ago there were 90,000 diving duck using the lough compared to 25,000 today. What is behind this change? EHS is supporting a range of studies to find out why these changes are taking place – possible theories include water quality and climate change.
6. Wetland invertebrate hotspots in Northern Ireland
In 2007 an army of invertebrate experts from across the UK descended on Northern Ireland. They waded through many of our lowland wetlands on a quest to search for every type of spineless creature known to man! They are very excited about the initial results of their efforts not only in terms of the variety of invertebrates encountered, but also by the number of rare species discovered. This work was commissioned by EHS.
7. Contact Details
For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
