The Cork City Otter Survey started in the summer of 2011 and finished in 2012. It is an example of a wildlife project where there is a partnership between two academic institutions, non government organisations, a wildlife park and a local authority. It is has applied a basic concept of citizen science.
The survey involved 22 volunteers from the Cork Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust, who were trained to collect otter spraints in the waterways of Cork City for over four seasons. The spraints were collected, taken to UCC and transported to Waterford Institute of Technology for DNA analysis. They were then returned to UCC’s Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science for diet analysis. The results were then mapped to determine the distribution of the urban otter in Cork City and to identify the composition of the otter diet.
Role Of Transgenic Animal In Target Validation-1.pptx
Cork City Otter Project by Gill Weyman
1. Presentation by Gill Weyman
AIMS conference – Glasnevin 2012
Cork Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust
corkbranch@gmail.com
The successful use of volunteers
with studies of Cork’s urban otters
2. Co-Authors:
Paddy Sleeman, Sean Ronayne, Simon Harrison, Lee Jane
Eastwood
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College, Cork
Andrew Harrington
MISE Project, Waterford County Council, Tramore Civic Offices,
Tramore, Co Waterford
David O’Neill, Denise O’Meara and Catherine O’Reilly
Molecular Laboratory, Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road,
Waterford
3. The Cork Branch of the Irish
Wildlife Trust
Promote awareness of wildlife in Cork
Local Branch
500 email members
Events and projects
4. The Cork City Otter Project
• 2011-2012
• Partnership between UCC,
Cork Branch IWT and WIT
• Supported and funded by
Environmental Partnership
Fund/Fota Wildlife Park
5. Citizen Science
“projects in which volunteers partner with
scientists to answer real-world
questions.“
(Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2012)
6. Is Citizen Science new?
• 1900s National Audubon Society’s annual
Christmas bird count (USA)
• 1990’S Citizen Science term applied
• Ireland. Butterfly monitoring scheme, smooth
newts, countryside bird
• UK. Ladybird survey
• Canada. Victoria -Otters
7. Benefits of Citizen Science
• Cost effective
• Enables data to be collected on a larger scale
• Increases public awareness
• Encourages more people to appreciate the
natural world
• In USA, volunteers use a wide range of
technical data. Training helps to reduce error.
• Special protocols for citizen science
Cohn. J.(2008)
8. Past research on otters in
Cork City
• Sleeman & Moore (2005) based on studies in
rural areas predicted that around six otters
used Cork City’s habitats
• White (2009) tracks suggested 5-6 otters
one male, two females and two cubs
9. Cork City Otter Survey
• Irish European Otter
(Lutra lutra)
• Subspecies
• Dimorphic
• Darker
• Ireland is a stronghold for this species
10. Cork City Otter Project - Aims
• To show that otters (Lutra lutra) can be
found in an urban areas such as Cork City
• To determine the sex and identity of
individual otters through DNA analysis
11. Map of survey area
July and October 2011. January and April 2012. Duration 2 weeks
13. Training
• Presentations
- Otter ecology and spraint collection
- Health and safety including pre site safety
assessment
- equipment required
- Buddy system
• Discussion
• Field practical
• Four training sessions (One per survey)
18. Summary 2011-2012
11 otters recorded over the survey period, otters recorded were unique to
each survey period, with only one male otter (city centre) being recorded
three times.
19. Summary - Distribution and
number of Otters
• The preliminary genetic data has illustrated a
relatively high number of otters in Cork city
• However, these otters appear to be transient as
different otters were recorded in each survey period
• The area in Blackpool recorded the highest number
of individuals. This is a focal point between rivers and
may be an important marking point of moving otters,
but based on our genetic evidence, they appear not
to be long term residents
• One male otter (city centre) was recorded three
times along a 1km strectch, but the samples were
collected on the same day in May 2012
20. Education
• School programme
– cd of resources
Information on otters,
lesson plan, powerpoint
presentation
• Pilot school. St Lukes
• Name the otter competition
21. Conservation
• Liaise with Cork City
Planners/Heritage to
ask for consideration
with regard to
planning applications
• Provides opportunity for further research
The aim of the cork branch is to promote awareness of wildlife in cork. We are a local branch set up in 2007. We started with 3 and now have 500 on our email membership list. Our list is free. We organise a range of events and projects. Events include walks, talks and projects included otters, beaumont quarry, ladybirds.
This is a definition of citizen science by the cornell lab of ornithology part of Cornell university, New York.