Vertigo Monitoring 2014-2017

Client: National Parks & Wildlife Service

Juvenile Desmoulin’s whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana) at Castletown, Co. Waterford, photo by John Brophy

In the period 2014-2017, BEC Consultants completed a four year project monitoring three species of whorl snail (Vertigo spp.) that are listed on Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive. The target species were Vertigo geyeri, Vertigo moulinsiana and Vertigo angustior. A total of 60 sites were surveyed in the course of the project and the results will form part of Ireland’s reporting under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive, with National Conservation Assessments being prepared in line with the 6-year reporting cycle.

In addition to the survey work, the project included data collation and auditing to ensure that the highest-quality data are used in monitoring these species and in the preparation of the National Conservation Assessments, and that any previous inconsistencies were addressed.