Marine - Ocean Focus

Kelp harvesting protest taken to seat of government

Mary Robinson to address Our Ocean Wealth Summit 2018

Former Irish President Mary Robinson is confirmed as the key note speaker at this year's marine summit in Galway, June 29&30.

Now in its fifth year, 'Our Ocean Wealth' forms a key part of Government's integrated marine plan Harnessing our Ocean Wealth and is a key event for the marine sector and related industries, offering a platform for discussion on the future of Ireland's marine sector.

Lost landscapes of the Irish Sea

Marine

Scientists from both sides of the Irish Sea have completed a week-long expedition that explored extensive submerged landscapes been Ireland and Britain, and sampled sediment from 20 sites in Liverpool and Cardigan Bays.

Scientific crew of RV Celtic Voyager, l-r: Dr Martin Bates; Rosie Everett; Eithne Davis; Dr C Richard Bates and Kevin Kearney

IT Sligo, University College Cork and the Marine Institute joined the University of Bradford's 'Europe's Lost Frontiers' on board the Marine Institute's Celtic Voyager to study a 'palaeolandscape' of plains, hills, marshlands and river valleys 'in which evidence of human acivity is expected to be preserved', according to project team.

Single-use plastics and fishing gear survey

Marine

The European Commission has published a stakeholder survey as part of a follow up to the EU Strategy on Plastics scheduled for adoption in January 2018. The objective is to provide input, opinions and data to prepare follow-up to the strategy particularly from single-use plastics and fishing gear.

Ireland to ban products containing plastic micro beads

Marine

The UK ban on using plastic micro beads in cosmetics which came into effect on January 9 highlights the need for a more effective EU-wide response to the problem of waste plastic in the sea, says Dr Peter Heffernan, Marine Institute chief executive.

Plastics washed onto a beach on the west coast of Denmark (Photo KIMO); a handful of micro plastics on Hawaii (Photo Plastic Change)

Micro beads are tiny plastic circles the size of a grain of sand, and marine scientists are increasingly worried that ocean wildlife is being harmed through consumption.

Citizen science drive to reduce marine litter

Marine

The European Commission is seeking public input to a consultation on single use plastics and fishing gear in a follow up to the EU Strategy on Plastics in the Circular Economy (2015) scheduled for adoption this month.

Marine litter on Tracht Beach, Co Galway Photo Paul Connolly

An Action Plan for a Circular Economy identified plastics, which represents hall of all marine litter, as one of five priority areas, due to low rates of reuse and recycling, along with littering.

Environmental monitoring of major redevelopment at Dublin Port

Marine

Marine data products and services provider, Techworks Marine Limited, is to provide environmental monitoring platforms during Dublin Port Company’s redevelopment of Alexandra Basin.

Deployment of a Techworks Marine CoastEye Monitoring Buoy in Dublin Bay

Assisted by Commissioner of Irish Lights Vessel, Granuaile, four CoastEye Monitoring Buoys will be strategically positioned around Dublin Bay to give real-time detailed sea-state data on turbidity, wave and current profiles. The buoys will also act as a platform for acoustic detection of whale and dolphin activity throughout the project.

Ireland commits €6m towards global marine protection

Marine

At 'Our Ocean Conference' Malta (6/10), Minister of State Ciarán Cannon committed over €6m in marine research and development to support Ireland's contribution to promoting and protecting the world's marine resources.

World leaders made over four hundred commitments towards developing opportunities for cooperation, innovation and entrepreneurship; identifying marine protected areas; climate change; sustainable fisheries; marine pollution; marine security and developing a sustainable blue economy.

Microplastic pollution discovered on Irish continental shelf

Marine

Researchers from the School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway have discovered the presence of microplastic contamination along the western Irish continental shelf regardless of proximity to densely populated areas.

Pollution from plastic entering into the ocean is a global issue that impacts marine life at all trophic levels as well as economically important ecosystems, explains Dr Audrey Morley, senior author of the study and lecturer in Physical Geography at NUI Galway.

Microplastics found in Irish Marine sediments. A subset of recovered microplastics at 40-50x magnifications. (L) A frayed and tangled fibre from Galway Bay’s North Sound. (C) A heavily biofouled transparent fibre from the Aran Grounds. (R) A tangled ball of fibres identified during method testing from Galway Bay’s South Sound (52°57.722N, 9°33.358W). Photo:[Martin et al., 2017]

“The pervasive presence of microplastics on the Irish continental shelf bares significant risks for economically important Irish fisheries, for example the Galway Bay Prawn (Nephrops Norbegicus).