The five sea lough systems addressed by the Sustainable maricultue in Northern Irish
Sea lough Ecosystems (SMILE) project are Belfast Lough, Carlingford Lough, Lough Foyle, Larne Lough
and Strangford Lough.
The two year project began in September 2004, this was
completed with the handover
of the SMILE model at an official launch in February 2007 ( see SMILE website). As input and output data becomes available the model will produce simulated data showing how mussel
harvests vary in different areas of the lough, this will be used as a basis for seed allocations. Density
dependant impacts have been observed in the model and this information could help inform the producer
of optimal stocking densities for their sites.
The model has continued to evolve and recently been used to demonstrate the
ability of SMILE to function
as an ecosystem management tool, to address conservation issues.
