Irish rope-grown mussels achieve blue label status

Ireland's rope-grown mussel fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council certification. This recognition, along with the seabed cultured fishery in 2013, means that Ireland's entire mussel fishery is certified under the management of the…

Helmsman of the Marine Institute appointed to EU Mission

Dr Peter Heffernan, who has served as chief executive of the Marine Institute in Ireland since 1993, has been appointed to European Commission's Mission Board for Healthy Oceans, Seas, Coastal and Inland Waters. He will retire from his current…

A life at sea learnt at the National Maritime College of Ireland

The National Maritime College of Ireland is a training and educational centre for the merchant marine and non-military needs of the Irish Naval Service. It comprises specialist survival facilities, seamanship and shipwright workshops, firefighting/damage…

Plastic debris located at bottom of deep submarine canyon

An expedition led by University College Cork has discovered plastic particles at a depth of 2,125m - equivalent to ten Eiffel Towers stacked - during a study of cold-water coral habits 320km due west of Dingle, Co Kerry. UCC's Marine Geology Research group was operating in the Porcupine Bank Canyon on board the Marine Institute's RV Celtic Explorer when the discovery was made.
Sandycove, Co Dublin, a popular beach and swimming area for Dubliners

Swimmers urged to dip at lifeguarded areas only

Water Safety Ireland is appealing to the public to swim at supervised locations only this bank holiday weekend when the risk of drownings will be higher due to a new moon on Thursday, bringing spring tides coast-wide. New moon phases can…
2018 plastic pollution

Google awards project that removes microplastics from water

Irish teenager, Fionn Ferreira from Ballydehob, west Cork, has won an international science award for his project that removes microplastics from water. The project, which secured the grand prize of $50,000, investigated a new method to extract…
Bantry Bay foreshore licence map of mechanical seaweed harvesting site

Absence of licence halts review of Bantry Bay kelp appeal

Justice Deirdre Murphy of the High Court has ruled (July 29) that the court has no jurisdiction to carry out a Judicial Review of the licence granted to BioAtlantis to mechanically harvest kelp in Bantry Bay. This decision is because government…

Forum to help restore native oyster stocks in Irish waters

An Irish Native Oyster Forum has been established to help restore native oyster (Ostrea edulis) populations in Irish waters. The objective is that the Forum will “better influence” policies that may affect native stocks which “remain…

Citizen science to explore coastal biodiversity

The National Biodiversity Data Centre has launched a citizen science project to record coastal biodiversity around the Irish coast. 'Explore your Shore' aims to empower and support volunteer citizen scientists to survey and record intertidal…