Ireland’s Marine Environment

Dr Robert Wilkes is a Marine Scientist at the EPA. Robert studied Marine Science in NUI, Galway where he started working with marine algae. After working in the USA for a few years on seaweed aquaculture he returned to Galway to pursue a PhD. He joined the EPA in 2005 where he established a new monitoring programme for marine algae and angiosperms which now forms the basis of Ireland’s WFD marine plant assessments. He now manages the national marine monitoring programme and is responsible for the WFD assessment of our transitional and coastal waters. He works closely with colleagues in other government departments and agencies on the MSFD monitoring and assessment. Robert also collaborates with international marine working groups such as OSPAR and the EEA.