Sherkin Island maritime station publishes 35 years of data for environmental research
The sampling was conducted at 12 coastal stations, eight within Roaringwater Bay/Long Island Bay, and four from 1.5 km to 17.5 km offshore in open waters south of Sherkin. Picture: Sherkin Island Marine Station
“A dream come true” is how Matt Murphy, founder of one of Ireland’s longest-running coastal research stations, describes publication of 35 years of key environmental data.
Phytoplankton records for the south-west Irish coast dating back to 1980 have been published on an international marine research website by Sherkin Island marine station.
The development comes at a time of mounting concern over this year’s marine heatwave extending across Europe, which has elevated sea temperatures beyond norms.
A baseline for existing environmental conditions, such as that provided by the Sherkin station, will prove to be crucial in making comparisons as part of long-term research, 88-year-old Matt Murphy, says.
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The areas covered for Sherkin Island marine station’s first dataset, which dates from 1980 to 2014, are Roaringwater and Long Island bays, and south of Sherkin island off Baltimore in West Cork. The sampling was conducted at 12 coastal stations, eight within Roaringwater Bay/Long Island Bay, and four from 1.5 km to 17.5 km offshore in open waters south of Sherkin.
Stations were visited approximately every 12 days from April to October each year, within that 35-year period. Standard air temperature records from the manual weather station at Sherkin covering the same time period, together with records from the automated weather station from 2004, offer comparisons with the marine records for climate-related studies, the station notes.
“We have another large dataset on 145 sites on the rocky shoreline extending from Cork harbour to Bantry, and that will take another two years,” Mr Murphy says. “It has been a very very long road, not only in collecting the data but in sorting it and figuring out the best place to put it.
“We finally settled on putting it up on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF.org), thanks to the help of the National Biodiversity Data Centre,” he says.
This ensures there is open access to 35 years of data on this part of the Irish coastline, he notes.
Mr Murphy says: “There are so many people to be thankful to, primarily all the volunteers who worked on the survey and my family, but everyone who supported the station along the way.” .
Sherkin Island Marine Station was founded in 1975 by Murphy and his late wife, Eileen, and was run by Matt and his family until 2015. Mr Murphy is now retired and has been working with his family, including his daughter Susan Murphy Wickens, on the archive.
