Loughs Agency is set to lead a major marine tracking project after €1.6m of EU funding was secured by the European Tracking Network.
The three-year project, titled North East Atlantic Marine Tracking Network or NorTrack, aims to monitor the movements of aquatic species critical to the North East Atlantic.
The funding followed an open call by the EU’s Biodiversa+ scheme, which supports research proposals relating to biodiversity projects.
Nationally, funding has been provided by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency to enable Loughs Agency to participate in the programme.
The remote tracking of animals, telementary, has already provided vital information about the biology and ecology of aquatic species.
In addition to Atlantic salmon and sea trout, the project will enable the Agency to study the movements of European eel, as well as predator-prey interactions.
NorTrack will work closely with the STRAITS Project which has distributed acoustic telemetry infrastructure throughout Europe so that the movements of various aquatic species can be studied.
