Zooplankton time series for Irish coastal waters
One of the most important objectives of the Plankton Club is to track the seasonal and annual changes in zooplankton abundance in Irish coastal waters. To do this, we have three sampling sites where we routinely collect samples: Lough Hyne, outside Cork harbour and Bantry Bay. Once samples are collected, we aim to enumerate (count) and identify these zooplankton samples as quickly as possible and then post our results up on this page. Data from the Lough Hyne samples are presented below. The abundance of two common zooplankton groups are presented: the copepods and the hydromedusae. Abundance is presented as the number of individuals in one cubic metre (m3) of water.
Copepod abundance in Bantry Bay 2021

Lough Hyne
Copepod abundance in Lough Hyne 2021-2022

Hydromedusae abundance in Lough Hyne 2021-2022

Lough Hyne is a semi-enclosed marine lake in southwest Co. Cork, Ireland. It was the first area in Europe to be designated as a marine reserve in 1981. It has long been noted for its rich biodiversity, and scientific research has been carried out at Lough Hyne for over 100 years. Semi-regular sampling began in 1923 by Prof Louis Renouf of UCC, after whom the research station is now named. Since then, many researchers from around the world have studied the Lough, making it one of the most studied marine areas in Ireland.