Our Scientific Partners
DCU Water Institute
At Green Ocean Foundation, we believe that if we are asking communities, volunteers, businesses and supporters to invest their time and resources, we must be able to demonstrate that our restoration projects are making a measurable difference.
That is why we are proud to work in partnership with the Water Institute at Dublin City University (DCU), one of Ireland’s leading centres for water and environmental research.
Together, Green Ocean Foundation and DCU Water Institute are helping answer one of the most important questions facing Ireland’s marine environment:
Can Nature-Based Solutions Help Our Seas Recover?
Through scientific monitoring, environmental analysis and long-term research, the DCU team is helping us understand how native oysters interact with their environment, how they contribute to ecosystem recovery and how marine restoration can deliver measurable benefits for water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem health.
By combining community action with world-class scientific expertise, we are building the evidence needed to support the recovery of Ireland’s coastal ecosystems. Because real recovery starts with understanding what works.
What the Research Involves:
- Monitoring water quality and environmental conditions
- Measuring oyster growth, health and survival
- Screening for known pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides
- Detecting emerging and previously unidentified contaminants
- Assessing microbial activity and environmental health indicators
- Analysing oyster tissue health and biological responses
- Tracking ecosystem changes over time
What is DCU Water Institute Testing for?
- Chlorophyll
- Biodiversity (Species Surveys)
- Water Temperature
- Salinity
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pesticides
- Other Contaminants
About DCU Water Institute
Bringing together experts in chemistry, marine science, engineering, microbiology, environmental policy and citizen science, the Institute works to better understand our water systems and develop practical solutions to environmental challenges.
Using advanced analytical technologies, environmental monitoring, ecosystem modelling and nature-based research approaches, the Institute delivers science that protects ecosystems, informs decision-making and supports a more sustainable future.
For Green Ocean Foundation, the Water Institute provides the scientific expertise needed to measure, understand and demonstrate the impact of oyster restoration projects in Dublin Bay and beyond.
The DCU Water Institute Team
Meet the Scientists Behind the Research
Professor Fiona Regan
Director, DCU Water Institute
Professor Fiona Regan is an internationally recognised leader in water and environmental science. Her research focuses on water quality monitoring, marine pollution, contaminants of emerging concern, analytical chemistry and environmental sensor technologies.
Throughout her career she has:
- Published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific outputs
- Secured over €10 million in competitive research funding
- Led major national and international water research programmes
- Served on scientific advisory boards and expert panels
- Worked closely with policymakers on water governance and environmental management
Professor Regan is passionate about translating cutting-edge science into practical solutions that improve environmental outcomes and support evidence-based decision-making. Her leadership is helping shape one of Ireland’s most ambitious community-led marine restoration initiatives.
Nicolette Sale
PhD Researcher
Nicolette Sale is a PhD researcher in the School of Chemical Sciences and the DCU Water Institute.
After graduating with a BSc in Environmental Science and Technology in 2025, Nicolette continued her research into contaminants of emerging concern in marine environments.
Her doctoral research focuses on developing autonomous monitoring technologies to investigate:
- Emerging contaminants
- Microplastics
- Environmental DNA (eDNA)
- Coastal water quality in Irish marine environments
Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of the pressures affecting coastal ecosystems and supports the development of innovative tools for environmental monitoring.
Dr. Isabel Cadena
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Isabel Cadena is a marine environmental scientist specialising in the occurrence, behaviour and ecological impacts of emerging contaminants in aquatic environments.
Her research integrates field sampling, advanced analytical chemistry and comprehensive environmental screening techniques to identify and understand organic micropollutants in marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Dr Cadena has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals, presented her work internationally and collaborated with multidisciplinary research teams across a range of environmental research programmes.
Her work supports evidence-based environmental assessment and contributes to a greater understanding of chemical pollution and its impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
Through her research, Dr Cadena is helping build the scientific evidence needed to support healthier, more resilient coastal environments.
Building the Evidence for Recovery
The partnership between Green Ocean Foundation and DCU Water Institute represents more than a research collaboration. It is a shared commitment to understanding how science, nature and community action can work together to restore Ireland’s marine environment.
As our restoration projects grow, the evidence generated through this partnership will help guide future conservation efforts, inform environmental policy and support the wider recovery of Ireland’s coastal ecosystems.
Together, we are not only restoring oysters. We are building the knowledge needed to help bring life back to Ireland’s seas.