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.

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

12. Volunteers
• Call for volunteers
from email list
22 Volunteers
Area co-ordinators

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)

14. Results
• Distribution of otters
• Number of otters
• Education
• Conservation

15. Distribution - Number of DNA
positive spraints and scats
Total 2011 2012 Total
Otter 49 139 188
Mink 1 2 3

16. Distribution of genetically identified
otters in 2011

17. Distribution of genetically
identified otters in 2012

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

22. Facebook Page
Collection of sightings and pictures
from the public

23. Acknowledgements
Volunteers
Valeria Soma, Maeve McCarthy, Aiden Looney,
Deidre O’Leary, Helen Creedon, Eoin Kelleher, Ger
Stanton, Helena Jackson, Risteard Tobin, Geraldine
Scannell, Rick Mundy, Fiona Patterson, Linda
McSweeney ,Tony O’Dwyer, Sean McKeon, Gill
Weyman, Fiona Vereker, Ciara White, Jess Black, Dr.
S.Harrison, Dr. P.Sleeman, Jed Kempf, Denise
O’Meara, Brian Power, Andrew Harrington, Marlynne
Headworth, Ruth Prendergast, Jo Noonan, Lee Jane
Eastwood, Shane White, Shaun Ronayne.

24. Thank you
Cork Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust
corkbranch@gmail.com
Facebook. Cork City Otters

25. Acknowledgements
Thanks to Shane White and all the IWT
volunteers for assisting in the surveys