Vital research collaboration to restore the iconic Lough Neagh

The new research project will generate scientific evidence to help restore Northern Ireland’s most iconic lake – Lough Neagh.

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) working with Biota Trace and the Lough Neagh Partnership, has secured funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland for the 18-month project. Findings will be used to create a long-term plan to improve the environmental status of the badly degraded lake. The Lough Neagh Partnership will support field surveys and data collection, alongside UKCEH and project partners.  

The CLEAR-Neagh project (Catchment-Level Environmental AMR & eDNA Reconnaissance for Lough Neagh) will be part of the UK Freshwater Quality Programme coordinated by water@leeds, which aims to understand the drivers of change in UK freshwaters.

Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the UK and one of the UK’s most important freshwater resources. It is in the centre of Northern Ireland, supplying drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people, supporting agriculture and fisheries and providing habitat for diverse wildlife.

The lake and its rivers are becoming polluted by excess nutrients, including run-off from farms and industrial sources and wastewater treatment works. There is also a threat of the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment that can pose risks to ecosystems, livestock and human health. 

In 2023, the lake was covered in a severe bloom of blue-green algae, which had such a significant impact that it was reported by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) as an unprecedented ‘freshwater emergency’ being ‘visible from space’.

It caused the deaths of pets and wildlife and the closure of recreational and fishing areas. It also impacted the Lower River Bann and beaches along the northern coast, such as Portstewart and Castlerock, which were forced to close to visitors.  

This highlighted an urgent need for better tools to identify the sources and movement of pollution across the catchment. 

Researchers will use a range of specialised tools and methods, including advanced microbial source tracking and environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, to trace pollution across the Lough Neagh system, including tributaries, inlets and the shoreline.

By analysing DNA from water collected across the lake, its tributaries and outflows, the team will be able to discover whether the source of the contamination is human, agricultural or wildlife.  

Dr Susheel Bhanu Busi, CLEAR-Neagh Project Lead and Head of Molecular Ecology at UKCEH, said: “We are delighted that our project has been successful and excited to get started.” 

To address the significant challenges of water pollution at Lough Neagh, we need evidence-based science that is capable of disentangling the complex mix of microbes and chemicals that influence water quality across the catchment. 

Traditional monitoring approaches have been unable to fully resolve how human, agricultural and wildlife sources can cause microbial contamination or capture the dynamics of AMR that can pose risks to ecosystems, livestock and human health. 

“We need to use source-tracking methods, including environmental DNA, to address these gaps in knowledge so that we can identify, quantify, and trace pollution pathways from the land to the lake, and understand their impacts. 

“DNA-based methods offer a sensitive way of diagnosing and managing environmental issues at Lough Neagh. They will provide us with the robust data that we need to guide restoration, inform the upcoming Science Platform, and support evidence-based management of the lake's recovery.” 

Wendy Matcham, Head of Environmental Hazards and Health at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC-UKRI) said: 

'This award signifies an important partnership for NERC with DAERA. The research will add value to the Freshwater Quality Programme and provide crucial evidence and insight into the sources and movement of pollution in freshwaters."

The team will use state-of-the-art technology, including automated high-frequency sampling and autonomous unmanned survey vessels, to collect samples in areas that are otherwise difficult or unsafe to access.  

As part of the project, AMR genes will be monitored to provide early warning of risks to ecosystems, livestock and public health. Data will be integrated with catchment models and hydrological information to produce high-resolution maps of pollution sources, seasonal patterns and key risk pathways. 

The CLEAR-Neagh project will produce practical tools and clear evidence for stakeholders to support the restoration and long-term care of the lake.  

This research project forms part of the £10m UK Freshwater Quality Research Programme, jointly funded by NERC, Defra and DAERA. Championed by Professors Joseph Holden and Pippa Chapman at the University of Leeds, the Programme started in 2022 to examine different sources of pollution through many interdisciplinary research projects.   

Professor Joseph Holden, Director of water@leeds, at the University of Leeds, said: “We are really looking forward to working with the CLEAR-Neagh project team as our whole Programme will benefit from learning that comes out of their investigations using state-of- the-art techniques. The outcomes from their vital research, such as new scientific tools to track water pollution, can be shared throughout the UK.  

Professor Pippa Chapman, at the University of Leeds, added: “Our Programme is bringing together world-leading freshwater quality scientists across the UK to create a more coherent community to work more closely with practitioners, policy makers, regulators, industry and land-owners to come up with long-term solutions and a gold standard for improving the quality of our rivers and lakes. It is really great to now be able to work with DAERA and have an impact in Northern Ireland.”  

Background

Lough Neagh is nearly 400 km² in area and provides around 40 per cent of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. Its catchment spans approximately 43% of Northern Ireland and extends into Counties Monaghan and Cavan within the Republic of Ireland. 

Over recent decades, the lake’s ecological health and resilience have been eroded by nutrient enrichment, sediment inputs, and microbial contamination from diffuse and point sources.  

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is a world-leading independent research institute with a reputation for providing scientific evidence solutions to complex and urgent environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. With over 600 researchers, the centre’s evidence-based insights help governments, businesses and communities to make informed decisions where both nature and people thrive. 

More information

• Visit the UK Freshwater Quality Research Programme website
• Visit the UKCEH website
• Photographs by Peter Harper.