Boyne estuary, County Louth, Ireland

Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Sediment grain size parameters; Dissolved metal concentrations in the water column; Particulate metal concentrations in the water column; Nutrient concentrations in sediment pore waters; Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column; Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column; Salinity of the water column; Temperature of the water column; Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column; Zoobenthos generic abundance; Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in sediment pore waters; Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed; Inorganic chemical composition of sediment or rocks

Discrete water samplers; salinity sensor; unconsolidated sediment corers; sediment porewater samplers; elemental analysers; nutrient analysers; dissolved gas sensors

These surveys are part of a comprehensive study undertaken on the Boyne estuary as part of a harbour development project. The main research involved macrofaunal sampling of mudflats at twenty different stations. Samples were collected in triplicate using a 0.01 square metre cylindrical corer. An accredited laboratory was responsible for identifying the samples to family level. A saltmarsh survey in the same area was also undertaken. Data are stored in Excel spreadsheets. Reports also accompany each data set. Water quality monitoring has been undertaken at one fixed location since December 1999 and continues on a bimonthly basis. Parameters measured include nutrients and metals.

MARENCO Environmental Consultants
Elmwood House, 74 Boucher Road
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT12 6RZ
United Kingdom