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RESET

Research Project

Enhancing Blue Carbon and Ecological Services through Nature-Based Solutions: Integrated Restoration of Seagrass Meadows and Oyster Reefs in Irish Coastal Waters

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About RESET

Coastal habitats are dynamic ecosystems that provide essential ecological services and support a wide array of biodiversity. However, these habitats face numerous challenges, including pollution, habitat loss, and climate change impacts. As scientists and conservationists seek effective and sustainable solutions, native oysters and seagrass beds emerge as valuable nature-based tools for coastal habitat restoration and management. In this context, RESET project aims to explore the individual and combined value of native oyster reefs and seagrass beds as a viable nature-based solution, highlighting their roles in promoting biodiversity, improving water quality, enhancing coastal resilience, and their potential ability to mitigate climate change impacts. The overall objective of this research is to advance knowledge on the potential for restoration of native oyster reefs and seagrass beds at selected sites along the coastline of Ireland. Equally this project aims to evaluate how these nature-based solutions (NbS) can enhance and improve biodiversity and ecosystem services protection, particularly in relation to the role that these species play in carbon capture and sequestration, alongside their buffering capacities for predicted climatic change scenarios.

RESET is funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research program 2021–2030. There are two project partners: UCD and University of Galway. UCD is coordinating and managing the project.

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Project Team

Dr Paul Brooks

Dr Paul Brooks

Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Applied Ecology within the School of Biology & Environmental Science

Dr Brooks is a marine ecologist with 12 years of research experience on coastal ecosystems. His research has primarily focussed on human impacts on coastal systems, covering topics such as the effects of multiple stressors on coastal ecosystems, impacts of coastal urbanisation and the effects of invasive species on marine systems. More recently, his research has aimed to further understand how links between spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity in nature can be used to modify artificial structures using eco-engineering approaches in order to enhance their associated biodiversity. In addition, his current research is aiming to understand the efficacy of nature-based solutions to help mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and promote ecosystem service provision. He is currently supervising 3 PhDs working on nature-based solutions including eco-engineering solutions and oyster restoration along the Irish coastline.

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paul.brooks@ucd.ie
Dr Md Salauddin

Dr. Md Salauddin

Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Water and Environmental Engineering within the School of Civil Engineering

Dr Md Salauddin is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Water and Environmental Engineering within the School of Civil Engineering. His research interests include the application of nature-based solutions in a changing climate, climate change and extremes, climate resilience of critical coastal infrastructures, storm surge and wave impacts on coastal protections, wave structure interactions at sea defences, extreme coastal hazards (impact pressures, scouring, overtopping, hydraulic stability of coastal structures), offshore renewable energy (wave, wind, and tidal energy), and water quality. Dr Salauddin is currently supervising 3 PhDs and 4 Research Masters working on resilience of hydraulic infrastructures under changing climatic conditions. He has published 60+ peer-reviewed research papers in reputed journals and national/international conferences.

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md.salauddin@ucd.ie +353 1 716 3242
Victoria Jakaus

Victoria Jakaus

PhD Student

Victoria graduated from Åbo Akademi University with a BSc and MSc in Environmental and Marine Biology. Her PhD will focus on the benefits of combined restoration efforts with regard to the native oyster. Her research interests include native oysters, oyster reef ecosystems and their associated services and ecological functions, as well as restoration ecology in coastal areas.

Hani Ghasemi

Hani Ghasemi

PhD Student

Hani is a PhD student at UCD School of Civil Engineering. He holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from K.N. Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. His PhD research focus on coastal engineering and the use of nature-based solutions for coastal protection. Specifically, he is studying the effects of oyster reefs and seagrass on wave reduction along the Irish coastline through physical and numerical modelling techniques

News and Updates

Keep up to date with the RESET project's activities via our twitter page (opens in a new window)https://x.com/EpaResetProject (@EpaResetProject).

Contact UCD School of Civil Engineering

University College Dublin, Newstead, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 3201 | Location Map(opens in a new window)