The transitional waters of the Barrow, Suir and Nore rivers converge near Waterford city to form a large and complex estuarine system, supporting species and habitats of conservation importance. The area is subject many pressures, primarily nutrient and organic pollution from agriculture, urban runoff and domestic wastewater. At Great Island, a gas fired power station, operated by SSE thermal, abstracts and releases cooling water to the estuary. MFRC researchers are partnering with SSE Thermal to conduct a desktop review of the ecology of the River Barrow estuary in the context of multiple pressures. The study draws on existing biotic and abiotic data from the estuary to examine spatial and temporal variability in ecological communities in relation to plant activities and other anthropogenic impacts in the area. The team will review current international best practice for the management and mitigation of foam in estuarine habitats, associated with cooling water discharge.
