Lough Hyne, is close to Skibbereen in West Cork. It is 0.8km by 0.6km and was likely to have originally been a freshwater lake until approx 4000 years ago when rising sea levels flooded it with saline ocean water. The lake is now fed by tidal currents that rush in through Barloge Creek in a stretch known as ‘The Rapids’. In 1981 Lough Hyne became Ireland’s first Marine Nature Reserve and remains the only one. A Marine Nature Reserve is a conservation designation officially awarded by a government to a marine reserve of national significance. Lough Hyne has an unusual habitat of highly oxygenated yet warm seawater; consequently a wide biodiversity is sustained in various environmental conditions. Scientific research began in 1886 when William Spottswood Green recorded the presence of purple sea urchin, Robert Lloyd Praeger visited later in the 19th century and UCC’s Louis Renouf founded the biological station in 1923. Scientific study has been ongoing ever since by JA Kitching, FJ Ebling, Dan Minchin to name a few. Issues concerning the Lough more recently have been the collapse of the western wall at the Rapids, which was built as a Famine relief effort in the 19th century, due to erosion. However since 2006 a Heritage Council Biodiversity grant was awarded to Dr Rob Allen to rebuild the Rapids wall and reclaim the land where one of the on-site laboratories was.
The content of this case addresses UN SDG Target 14.2: sustainably manage, and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience and take action for their restoration, to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
Devoy, Robert, ed. The Coastal Atlas of Ireland. Cork: Cork University Press, 2021. [Cork University Press Collection]
The Coastal Atlas of Ireland celebrates Ireland’s coastal and marine spaces and assesses the importance of these environments in understanding the island’s past, appreciating the present, and contemplating future opportunities and challenges. The section on Lough Hyne describes the difficulties facing the Lough including a rise in the mussel population, invasive species of barnacles and declining species of sea-mats. Each change is attributable to different facets of the delicate ecosystem and are related to growth in tourism, rising coastal waters, and increased nitrogen run-off in catchment areas.
O’Donnell, Declan. “Lough Hyne Nature Marine Nature Reserve.” Mizen Journal 2 (1994): pp. 21-26. [Special Collections Serials]
The Mizen Journal covers the history and archaeology of the Mizen peninsula in West Cork. This article provides a summary of the work undertaken at Lough Hyne to 1994.
Lough Hyne Marine Reserve @ 30: a conference reflecting on the past, present and future directions of research at the Lough, Friday 3rd June 2011, West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen. Cork: School of BEES, University College Cork, 2011. [University Collection]
This pamphlet celebrated the 30th anniversary of Lough Hyne’s designation as a Marine Reserve with a 2-day conference of 65 delegates and 15 presentations from researchers.
Kearney, Terri. A guide to Lough Hyne: the marine researchers - in pictures. Cork: Skibbereen Heritage Centre, 2011. [Munster Printing Collection]
This is a visual history of the scientific research carried out at Europe's first marine nature reserve and draws on Kearney’s Masters thesis conducted in 2012 in UCC.
Smith, Charles. The antient and present state of the county and city of Cork: in four books. I. Containing, the antient names of the territories and inhabitants, with the civil and ecclesiastical division thereof. II. The topography of the county and city of Cork. III. The civil history of the county. IV. The natural history of the same ... Published with the approbation of the Physico-historical society. Dublin: Printed by A. Reilly for the author, 1750. [Older Printed Books]
Charles Smith (1715–1762) was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and practised medicine in Dungarvan in Co. Waterford. He compiled histories of the counties of Cork, Down and Waterford. The Cork volume was first published in 1750 and it contains one of the earliest references to Lough Hyne and its life below water: salmon, white trout, lobster, crabs, oysters and scallops. Such an account provides a base link for changing biodiversity.
Smith, Charles. The antient and present state of the county and city of Cork: in four books. I. Containing, the antient names of the territories and inhabitants, with the civil and ecclesiastical division thereof. II. The topography of the county and city of Cork. III. The civil history of the county. IV. The natural history of the same ... Published with the approbation of the Physico-historical society. Dublin: Printed by A. Reilly for the author, 1750. [Older Printed Books]
Smith describes the tidal events of Lough Hyne and Barloge Creek like a kind of waterfall.
Praeger, Robert Lloyd. “Gleanings in Irish topographical botany: Read March 16th 1902.” in Proceedings of The Royal Irish Academy: Papers read before the Academy. [X Collection]
Robert Lloyd Praeger (1865-1953) was an Irish librarian, naturalist and writer. He was invited by the Royal Irish academy to attend a deep-water dredging expedition off the south-west of Ireland in 1888. It was on this expedition that he first visited Lough Hyne. In 1891 his contributions to natural history led to his election as MRIA. In this article Praeger describes various items found in Ireland including the plant Characeae: Van subinermis Kuetz found near Lough Hyne.
Renouf, L.P.W. Preliminary work of a new biological station (Lough Ine, Co. Cork, I.F.S.). Cambridge: University Press, 1931. [Torna Reference Pamphlet Collection]
In this article Renouf describes dredging Barloge Creek and the different areas of the lough are mentioned with the different flora and fauna described.
Renouf, LPW. Preliminary work of a new biological station (Lough Ine, Co. Cork, I.F.S.). Cambridge: University Press, 1931. [Torna Reference Pamphlet Collection]
A map of Lough Hyne. This map inspired Tadhg Dennehy to go to Lough Hyne to record the sounds of the lake above and below water.
Renouf, L.P.W. “A Further Successful Experiment with Rice Grass (Spartina Townshendii).” Cork University Record 26 (1952): 31-32. [Special Collections Serials]
LPW Renouf (1887–1968) was Professor of Zoology at UCC from 1922-1953. Renouf first visited Lough Hyne in 1923 and carried out hydrographic, zoological, and botanical research there every summer.
Renouf’s article on rice grass / Spartina townsendii focuses on the area known as the Gooleen. Salt marsh plants were advancing and so rice grass was planted both to halt the advance of those plants and to protect the meadow that was at that end of the lough. In addition, Renouf noted the water levels were rising possibly due to subsidence. Renouf notes that by planting rice grass here they showed how other areas could be successful in reducing possible erosion or advancing saltmarshes if they too planted it.
“Miss Marjorie Murphy, MSc, HDE” and “A Personal Tribute.” Cork University Record 37 (1962): 41-45. [Special Collections Serials]
Marjorie Murphy graduated in 1921 with a BSc studying under Prof. Marcus Hartog. Murphy spent 40 years on staff at UCC and undertook much research on Lough Hyne however did not publish anything. She died in 1962.
Renouf, L.P.W. “Twenty-five years at Lough Ine.” Cork University Record (1950): pp. 18-23.
From 1944-1980 Cork University Press published the journal Cork University Record (from 1956 known as The UCC Record). Initially it was published three times a year and later annually. The journal chronicled the year's events, carried statements of college policy, detailed staff appointments and obituaries, and included articles on college history and personal reminiscences. This article from 1950 by Renouf lists some of the personnel involved in research at Lough Hyne including Mrs Porter, TK Rees, WM Tattersall, EM Sheppard, Ms ET Barrett.
Cullinane, JP. Phycology of the south coast of Ireland. Cork: Cork University Press, 1973. [Cork University Press Collection]
The article describes different people who researched Lough Hyne e.g. Blanche Duke, Hilda Parkes, June McVitty, Ellen Hutchins and Agnes Brennan.
