Dr Valerie McCarthy

Lecturer

Department of Life and Health Sciences

| Room: NE222

Biography

I am a lecturer on the BSc (Hons) in Environmental Bioscience programme at DkIT and was Programme Director between 2012 - 2021. I received a PhD in Freshwater Ecology from Trinity College Dublin investigating how elemental limitation in zooplankton food effects zooplankton community structure and pelagic trophic interactions. My research interests relate to community and ecosystem ecology in freshwater systems and investigating the linkages between aquatic systems and their catchments. I was awarded an Elevation Research Support award from DkIT in 2020.

Qualifications & Awards

2007, Ph.D. in Freshwater Ecology, Trinity College Dublin; Title: The relationship between resource elemental deficiencies and zooplankton community structure and dynamics.
2004, Higher Diploma in Statistics, Trinity College Dublin.
2001, B.A. (Hons) [Moderatorship in Zoology], First Class Honours, Trinity College Dublin.

Research & Interests

My research interests are concerned with theoretical community and ecosystem ecology and nutrient dynamics in freshwater systems with a particular focus on ecological stiochiometry. My current work investigates how lake and wetland systems respond to perturbations arising both directly and indirectly from human induced impacts such as nutrient loading and climate change. I am also interested in the use of high frequency and remote sensing technologies to monitor surface water quality.
Current Projects:

2023 – 2027 IntoDBP, Innovative tools to control organic matter and disinfection byproducts in drinking water; Funding: Horizon 2020, Collaborators 15 EU Partners.
2022 – 2025 RETINA, Remote Sensing of Global Surface Waters; Funding: Landscape Funding DkIT, Collaborators University of Bangor.
2021 – 2025 InventWater, Inventive forecasting tools for adapting water quality management to a new climate; Funding: MSCA-ITN (European Joint Doctorate), Collaborators 12 EU Partners
2019 – 2023 Macroinvertebrate community structure in the Burrishoole Catchment, Co. Mayo; Funding, DkIT PhD Funding Programme; Collaborators, Marine Institute.

Past Projects:

2017 – 2022 BEYOND 2020; Funding: Marine Institute Project-Based Award; Collaborators UCC, UoG, UCD, DCU, NUIM, Queen Mary I (UL).
2018 – 2021 (INFER) Remote Sensing of Irish Surface Waters; Funding: EPA STRIVE (EPA 2017-W-MS-30); Collaborators NUIG, ICHEC
2017-2020 (MANTEL) Management of Climatic Extreme Events in Lakes & Reservoirs for the Protection of Ecosystem Services; Funding: MSCA-ITN (European Joint Doctorate); Collaborators 8 EU partners.
2014 – 2018 An Investigation into the ecology and hydrology of groundwater dependent habitats; Funding: DkIT Collaborative PhD programme; Collaborators QUB.
2013 (TIWEG) Tellus Investigation of Wetland Ecology and Geochemistry; Funding: Tellus Border, Research Tender; Collaborators: QUB.
2011 – 2013 Ecohydrological characterisation of wetlands in the border region of Ireland. Forming part of the Tellus Border Project: A Geo-environmental survey of the North of Ireland. Funding: Interreg IVA Programme, Collaborators: GSNI, GSI, QUB.
2008 – 2011 Field Investigations on the potential impact of on-site wastewater treatment systems (OSWTS) on surface water quality. Funding: DoEHLG/Galway County Council/WRBD, Collaborators: QUB, UCD.
2009 – 2012 An investigation into the use of Integrated Constructed Wetlands to treat domestic wastewater: Performance, Processes and Implications for Groundwater. Funding: Monaghan County Council, Collaborators: University of Salford.
2009 – 2012 Source Protection Pilot Project - Feasibility study on the use of novel approaches to tracking faecal contamination from on-site wastewater treatment systems. Funding: DoEHLG, National Federation of Group Water Schemes.
2009 – 2012 The use of paleolimnological tools to assess the recent environmental history of lakes used as water abstraction points by the Irish Group Water Scheme Sector.

Publications

The publications listed below represent my 10 most recent works as recorded on ORCiD

Water Research
May 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123238
Type: Journal article

Hydrobiologia
7 January 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s10750-024-05774-1
Type: Journal article

Limnology and Oceanography
March 2023
DOI: 10.1002/lno.12292
Type: Journal article

Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research
2023
DOI: 10.18833/spur/7/1/1
Type: Journal article

Instrumentation and Measurement Technologies for Water Cycle Management
2022
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08262-7_2
Type: Book chapter

Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
2022
DOI: 10.1353/bae.2022.0014
Type: Journal article

Limnology and Oceanography
December 2021
DOI: 10.1002/lno.11963
Type: Journal article

Hydrobiologia
30 November 2021
DOI: 10.1007/s10750-021-04757-w
Type: Journal article

Inland Waters
4 May 2021
DOI: 10.1080/20442041.2021.1893098
Type: Journal article

Technological University Dublin
2021
DOI: 10.21427/Z3XX-DY28
Type: Journal article

Dr Valerie McCarthy

Biography

Qualifications & Awards

Research & Interests

Publications

Accounting for model parameter uncertainty provides more robust projections of dissolved organic carbon dynamics to aid drinking water management Accounting for model parameter uncertainty provides more robust projections of dissolved organic carbon dynamics to aid drinking water management

Allochthonous matter quality regulates functionality of lake zooplankton Allochthonous matter quality regulates functionality of lake zooplankton

The organic carbon budget of an oligotrophic temperate peatland lake The organic carbon budget of an oligotrophic temperate peatland lake

SUREbyts: Presenting Early-Year Undergraduate Students with Videos on Research Topics SUREbyts: Presenting Early-Year Undergraduate Students with Videos on Research Topics

Regional Adaptation of Water Quality Algorithms for Monitoring Inland Waters: Case Study from Irish Lakes Regional Adaptation of Water Quality Algorithms for Monitoring Inland Waters: Case Study from Irish Lakes

Using High Frequency In-Situ Monitoring to Gain New Insights into Irish Aquatic Systems Using High Frequency In-Situ Monitoring to Gain New Insights into Irish Aquatic Systems

The importance of allochthonous organic matter quality when investigating pulse disturbance events in freshwater lakes: a mesocosm experiment The importance of allochthonous organic matter quality when investigating pulse disturbance events in freshwater lakes: a mesocosm experiment

Late summer peak in pCO2 corresponds with catchment export of DOC in a temperate, humic lake Late summer peak in pCO2 corresponds with catchment export of DOC in a temperate, humic lake

Reflections on the Formation and Growth of the SURE Network: a National Disciplinary Network to Enhance Undergraduate Research in the Sciences Reflections on the Formation and Growth of the SURE Network: a National Disciplinary Network to Enhance Undergraduate Research in the Sciences