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Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

A Harbour Seal photographed at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas. Photo: AfloatA photograph of a Harbour Seal taken at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, this species can be found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are the most widely distributed species of pinnipeds and can be found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Photo: Afloat

Displaying items by tag: Ireland

#Rowing: Britain won the first race of the Coupe de la Jeunesse 2018 at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. The junior women’s eight, the traditional starting event for the event, featured five boats. Spain and France took the minor medals, while Ireland took fourth. The Coupe continues until Sunday.

Coupe de la Jeunesse, National Rowing Centre, Day One

Junior Women’s Eight – Final: 1 Britain 7:04.9, 2 Spain 7:07.1, 3 France 7:07.7; 4 Ireland (A Tyther, R O’Donoghue, C O’Sullivan, J Duggan, J Harrington, E Murphy, E Carney, C Nic Dhonncha; cox: V Hanlon) 7:15.5.

Published in Rowing
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#Rowing: The Ireland women’s pair of Emily Hegarty and Tara Hanlon finished sixth in the semi-final at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships at Poznan, Poland. The race ran away from Ireland.  Chile and then the United States, who would win, battled it out ahead of them, with Greece finishing brilliantly to take the third qualification spot for the A Final. Ireland lagged in sixth throughout and will compete in the B Final.

 Hugh Sutton gave a gutsy performance in the C/D semi-final of the lightweight single sculls. He held third until the final 50 metres when he was passed by Marlon Colpaert of Belgium, who had just over half a second over him on the line. The Belgian take a C Final place and Sutton is set for the D Final.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Poznan, Poland

Men

Single Sculls – Quarter-Final (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Ireland (R Byrne) 7:20.26.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Quarter-Final (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 5 Ireland (H Sutton) 7:55.8. C/D Semi-Final Two: 4 Sutton 7:42.69.  

Women

Pair – Semi-Finals (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final) – Semi-Final One: 2 Britain (2 H Scott) 7:52.09. Semi-Final Two: 6 Ireland (E Hegarty, T Hanlon) 8:15.53.

Published in Rowing
Tagged under

#Rowing: Ireland’s Ronan Byrne won his quarter final of the men’s single sculls at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland, taking a place in the A/B Semi-Finals. The UCC man was the clear leader right through, with Russia and Brazil slotting into the other qualification places for the last 12.

 Hugh Sutton finished fifth in his quarter-final of the lightweight single sculls. The top three – Austria, South Africa and Germany – were established early, and Sutton held fifth through the race.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Poznan, Poland

Men

Single Sculls – Quarter-Final (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Ireland (R Byrne) 7:20.26.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Quarter-Final (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 5 Ireland (H Sutton) 7:55.8.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Ireland’s lightweight quadruple scull of Miles Taylor, Niall Beggan, Ryan Ballantine and Andrew Goff won their repechage and moved into the A Final at the World Under-23 Championships in Poznan, Poland.

 The Ireland crew would have gone through with first or second and they disputed the lead with Spain until half way. But Ireland hit that line first and went on to lead. Germany tried hard to push into the top two, but Spain rebuffed them, while Ireland had a one-length lead from Spain at the finish. Britain finished fourth.

 Hugh Sutton also came through in his repechage. The 19-year-old raced well to take second and qualify for the quarter-finals of the lightweight single sculls. Four from six qualified. Early on, Egypt’s Omar Amer, who had made a false start, fell to the back of the race and stayed there throughout, while Turkey’s Enes Yenipazarli shot into a lead he would never lose. Sutton stayed in second for most of the race, swapping it with American Zachary Heese, but then beating him in a sprint in the closing stages.

 The Ireland men’s and women’s lightweight double sculls had earlier made it directly through their heats.

World Under-23 Championships, Poznan, Poland (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls – Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ireland (M Taylor, N Beggan, R Ballantine, A Goff) 6:01.47, 2 Spain 6:04.02.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (First to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (F McCarthy, J McCarthy) 6:35.94.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage (Top Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to E Final): 2 Ireland (H Sutton) 7:21.51

Women

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 2 Ireland (L Heaphy, M Cremen) 7:37.99.


 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Jake and Fintan McCarthy raced brilliantly to win their heat and qualify directly for the A/B Semi-Finals at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in Poland this morning. There was just one direct qualification place on offer in this heat of the lightweight double sculls and Italy gave Ireland quite a race. The two crews were locked together as they approached the 1500-metre mark – but then the McCarthy twins went. They led by .18 of a second at 1500 metres and sprinted away from their rivals to win well.

 Lydia Heaphy and Margaret Cremen made a solid start to their campaign in the women’s lightweight double by taking the second and final qualification spot in their heat. They were fastest to the 500 metre mark, but Britain’s Susannah Duncan and Danielle Semple took over from there. They would build their lead to win by almost eight seconds. Cremen and Heaphy secured their spot, staying well clear of third-placed Poland.

World Under-23 Championships, Poznan, Poland (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (First to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (F McCarthy, J McCarthy) 6:35.94.

Women

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Four (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 2 Ireland (L Heaphy, M Cremen) 7:37.99.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: David O’Malley and Shane Mulvaney produced an outstanding display to win their heat of the lightweight pair at the World Under-23 Championships at Poznan in Poland today. Germany led the race from the start, but the UCD men had grabbed a firm hold of it by 1,000 metres. They went on to win by 6.69 seconds from Chile, who pipped the Germans for second – a rank that mattered much less than the first place which put Ireland straight through to the final on Saturday.

 The Ireland lightweight quadruple had to settle for third in a heat where only the top crew qualified for the A Final. The Ireland crew of Miles Taylor, Niall Beggan, Ryan Ballantine and Andrew Goff looked very good and led early on. The United States moved decisively in the second quarter, when they took a slight lead. They took control in the third. They won well from France, who beat Ireland in a sprint to the line.  

 Hugh Sutton finished fifth in his heat of the lightweight single sculls and is set for a repechage.   

World Under-23 Championships, Poznan, Poland

Men

Lightweight Pair – Heat Two (Winner to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (S Mulvaney, D O’Malley) 6:50.92.

Lightweight Quadruple – Heat One (Winner to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 United States 6:00.18; 3 Ireland (M Taylor, N Beggan, R Ballantine, A Goff) 6:04.62.

Lightweight Single Sculls (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 5 Ireland (H Sutton) 7:24.38.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Ireland won the senior men’s title at the Home International Regatta at the National Rowing Centre today.

The men’s senior eight sealed the deal with a terrific win over Scotland, their closest rivals in the race and on the points table. A win for Scotland would have given them the honours.

The Ireland senior women came very close to winning the overall prize. The women’s quadruple – in the same manner as the men’s - had won the previous race, and the senior women’s eight knew that a win in the eight would have tied the points with England, but secured the big prize by virtue of the win in this key race. However, England produced a fine performance to win.

In all, Ireland had 10 wins at the regatta: the men’s four and coxed four, the pair and the quadruple won, in addition to the eight. The women’s four and the pair won, as did single sculler Selma Bouanane – by under a third of a second from Fiona Bell of Queen’s, who was rowing for Scotland.

England were in charge in both the junior men’s and junior women’s events.

Home International Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results; Irish placings: All Irish results unless stated)

Overall

Men – Senior: Ireland 30 pts, Scotland 30, England 20, Wales 15. Ireland win on basis of eights’ win. Junior: England 26, Ireland 17, Scotland 14, Wales 13.

Women – Senior: England 27, Ireland 27, Wales 20, Scotland 18. England win on basis of eights’ win. Junior: England 26, Ireland 18, Scotland 16, Wales 6.

Men – Eight: 1 Sean O’Sullivan, C Hennessy, Stephen O’Sullivan, J Quinlan, P Munnelly, T Power, D Joyce, P Moreau; cox: C O’Connell 6:01.31, 2 Scotland 6:07.10, 3 England 6:07.71. Junior: 3 Ireland 6:15.55.

Four – 1 T Power, Sean O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Sullivan, C Hennessy 6:18.37. Jun: 3 M Campion, D Ryan, B Frohburg, S Daly 6:46.28.

Four, coxed: 1 P Munnelly, J Quinlan, C Murphy, N Herlihy; cox: C O’Connell 6:44.97. Jun: 3 J Kennedy, P Murphy, R Mills, M Stewart, C Wanjau 6:52.22.

Pair – 1 D Joyce, P Moreau 7:02.03

Lightweight: 3 M Farrell, C Flynn 7:21.01. Jun: 1 S O’Neill, W Ronayne 7:05.14.

Sculling, Quadruple: 1 D Larkin, A Christie, N Hull, K Mannix 6:12.48. Jun: 2 D Kelly, T Kelly, A Sheehan, L Flynn 6:24.19.

Double – 2 N Hull, A Christie 6:47.38.

Lwt: 2 C McCrae, C O’Connell. Jun: 3 T Orlic, S Byrne 7:03.41.

Single: 3 K Mannix 7:23.51.

Lightweight Single: 3 D Larkin 7:36.9.

Junior, Single: 3 L Sutton 7:47.798.

Women

Eight: 1 England 6:48.44, 2 Ireland 6:52.35, 3 Scotland 6:56.69. Junior: 2 Ireland 6:51.598.

Four: 1 D Maguire, C Dempsey, C Feerick, K Shirlow 6:58.83.

Jun: 3 Z McCutcheon, C Fee, N Silke, S Byrnes 7:21.29.

Four, coxed: 4 R Gilligan, R Ryan, A Corcoran, S Kelly; cox: A Reid 7:40.76. Jun: 3 A Brooks, C Kirwan, A Cummins, J Crowley, S Dolan 7:38.62.

Pair – 1 N Casey, A McCarthy 7:44.299. Lightweight: 4 E Brogan, K McCarthy 8:33.09. Junior: 2 R O’Donoghue, A Tyther 7:57.62.

Sculling, Quadruple; Senior: 1 S Bounane, G O’Brien, S Crummey, O Hayes 6:53.69. Jun: 2 N Kiely, S Tierney, K Dolan, S Scully 7:12.40.

Double – 2 G O’Brien, S Crummey 7:31.69. Lwt: 3 S Clavin, V Wallace 7:54.82. Jun: M Kidney, A Lynch 7:47.67.

Single: 1 S Bouanane 8:04.81. Lightweight Single: 2 O Hayes 8:24.7. Junior, Single: 2 C O’Brien 8:25.1

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Ireland senior team for the 2018 Home International Regatta has been chosen. The event will be held at the National Rowing Centre next Saturday, July 21st. Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales will compete to win the Victor Ludorum –  ‘the winner of the games’ – in four categories: senior men, senior women, junior men and junior women.

 Irish crews had six wins at the 2017 regatta in Scotland and the junior men and junior women were both second overall. England won in all but one category, with Scotland beating them to the top of the senior women’s table.

 For some Irish athletes, the Home International has been the pinnacle of their rowing career; for others a first step on the road to World and Olympic Championships. Gary and Paul O Donovan began their journey to Olympic medal glory in this regatta.

Racing begins at 10:00am on Saturday, and runs until 4pm that afternoon.

Senior Men’s Sculling Team:

Keelan Mannix (Skibbereen RC)

Aaron Christie (Bann RC)

Nathan Hull (Queens University Belfast BC)

Dara Larkin (UCC RC)

Callum Macrae (Methodist College Belfast RC)

Coman O’Connell (UCD BC)

Senior Men’s Sweep Rowing Team:

Patrick Munnelly / James Quinlan (NUIG BC / Castleconnell RC)

Tomas Power / Sean O’Sullivan (Cork BC)

Stephen O’Sullivan / Colm Hennessy (Shandon BC)

Patrick Moreau / David Joyce (Commercial RC)

Niall Herlihy / Cameron Murphy (UCD BC)

Michael Farrell / Conor Flynn (NUIG BC)

Cormac O’Connell (UCC RC) Cox

Senior Women’s ScullingTeam:

Selma Bouanane (Fermoy RC)

Georgia O’Brien (UL RC)

Sarah Crummey (Belfast BC)

Orla Hayes (Skibbereen RC)

Sheila Clavin (St Michaels RC)

Vikki Wallace (QUBBC)

Senior Women’s Sweep Team:

Niamh Casey / Aine McCarthy (Skibbereen RC)

Claire Feerick / Katie Shirlow (Neptune RC / Bann RC)

Caoimhe Dempsey / Dineka Maguire (DULBC)

Rachel Ryan / Ruth Gilligan (Commercial RC)

Sarah Kelly / Aoife Corcoran (DULBC)

Aoife Reid (Commercial RC) Cox

Womens Lightweight Pair
Ella Brogan, Queens University Boat Club

Katie McCarthy, Cork Boat Club 

Junior Men’s Sculling Team:

Dara Kelly (Lee)

Thomas Kelly (Kenmare)

Andrew Sheehan (Lee)

Luke Flynn (Three Castles)

Tristan Orlic (Neptune)

Sean Byrne (Neptune)

Luke Sutton (New Ross)

Coach: Colm Butler (Neptune)

Junior Men’s Sweep Team:

Jack Kennedy (Enniskillen)

Peter Murphy (Enniskillen)

Robbie Mills (Enniskillen)

Michael Stewart (Enniskillen)

Cliff Wanjau (NUIG)

Michael Campion (Commercial)

Damien Ryan (Castleconnell)

Ben Frohburg (Castleconnell)

Sam Daly (Commercial)

Sam O’Neill (Shandon)

Will Ronayne (Shandon)

Junior Women’s Sculling Team

Marie Kidney (Lee)

Niamh Kiely (Castleconnell)

Clara O'Brien (Castleconnell)

Shona Tierney (New Ross)

Aoife Lynch (Lee)

Katie Dolan (Commercial)

Sadhbh Scully (Carlow)

Janet Walsh (New Ross)

Junior Women’s Sweep Team:

Aoife Brooks (Shandon)

Chris Kirwan (St. Michaels)

Rhianon O'Donoghue (Killorglin)

Anna Tyther (Killorglin)

Zoe McCutcheon (Enniskillen)

Caitlyn Fee (Enniskillen)

Aoife Cummins (Lee)

Jennifer Crowley (Lee)

Norma Silke (Castleconnell)

Saoirse Byrnes (Castleconnell)

Sarah Dolan (Enniskillen)

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Sanita Puspure took a silver medal for Ireland at the World Cup Regatta in Lucerne. The world champion, Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland took gold, but only just, in a thrilling finish. Puspure was under pressure for second from Carling Zeeman of Canada, but the Ireland sculler has a great finish and pushed right up on Gmelin, finishing just .23 of a second behind her.

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne, Day Three (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Spain Two 6:40.42; 3 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:43.27.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:28.50, 2 Belgium 6:29.30, 3 Denmark 6:32.39.

Women

Pair – B Final: 1 Spain 7:25.23; 4 Ireland (A Keogh, T Hanlon) 7:32.46.

Double – B Final: 1 Czech Republic 7:05.30; 3 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:06.92.

Single – A Final: 1 Switzerland (J Gmelin) 7:35.94, Ireland (S Puspure) 7:36.17, 3 Canada (C Zeeman) 7:37.03

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Paul and Gary O’Donovan took gold at the World Cup Regatta in Lucerne this morning. Denmark and Belgium had good starts, but the Skibbereen men too over the lead after 800 metres. They held it from there, though Belgium pushed right up on them in the final quarter. The O’Donovans held them off to win by .8 of a second.

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne, Day Three (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Spain Two 6:40.42; 3 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:43.27.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:28.50, 2 Belgium 6:29.30, 3 Denmark 6:32.39.

Women

Pair – B Final: 1 Spain 7:25.23; 4 Ireland (A Keogh, T Hanlon) 7:32.46.

Double – B Final: 1 Czech Republic 7:05.30; 3 Ireland (M Dukarska, A Crowley) 7:06.92.

Published in Rowing
Page 12 of 76

For all you need on the Marine Environment - covering the latest news and updates on marine science and wildlife, weather and climate, power from the sea and Ireland's coastal regions and communities - the place to be is Afloat.ie.

Coastal Notes

The Coastal Notes category covers a broad range of stories, events and developments that have an impact on Ireland's coastal regions and communities, whose lives and livelihoods are directly linked with the sea and Ireland's coastal waters.

Topics covered in Coastal Notes can be as varied as the rare finding of sea-life creatures, an historic shipwreck with secrets to tell, or even a trawler's net caught hauling much more than just fish.

Other angles focusing the attention of Coastal Notes are Ireland's maritime museums, which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of our nautical heritage, and those who harvest the sea using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety pose an issue, plying their trade along the rugged wild western seaboard.

Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied as the environment they come from, and which shape people's interaction with the natural world and our relationship with the sea.

Marine Wildlife

One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with Marine Wildlife. It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. And as boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify, even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat. Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse, it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to our location in the North Atlantic, there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe. From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals, the Marine Wildlife category documents the most interesting accounts around our shores. And we're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and video clips, too!

Also valuable is the unique perspective of all those who go afloat, from coastal sailing to sea angling to inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing, as what they encounter can be of great importance to organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). Thanks to their work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. But as impressive as the list is, the experts believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves, keep a sharp look out!

Weather

As an island in the North Atlantic, Ireland's fate is decided by Weather more so than many other European countries. When storm-force winds race across the Irish Sea, ferry and shipping services are cut off, disrupting our economy. When swollen waves crash on our shores, communities are flooded and fishermen brace for impact - both to their vessels and to their livelihoods.

Keeping abreast of the weather, therefore, is as important to leisure cruisers and fishing crews alike - for whom a small craft warning can mean the difference between life and death - as it is to the communities lining the coast, where timely weather alerts can help protect homes and lives.

Weather affects us all, and Afloat.ie will keep you informed on the hows and the whys.

Marine Science

Perhaps it's the work of the Irish research vessels RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager out in the Atlantic Ocean that best highlights the essential nature of Marine Science for the future growth of Ireland's emerging 'blue economy'.

From marine research to development and sustainable management, Ireland is developing a strong and well-deserved reputation as an emerging centre of excellence. Whether it's Wavebob ocean energy technology to aquaculture to weather buoys and oil exploration, the Marine Science category documents the work of Irish marine scientists and researchers and how they have secured prominent roles in many European and international marine science bodies.

Power From The Sea

The message from the experts is clear: offshore wind and wave energy is the future. And as Ireland looks towards the potential of the renewable energy sector, generating Power From The Sea will become a greater priority in the State's 'blue growth' strategy.

Developments and activities in existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector, and those of the energy exploration industry, point to the future of energy requirements for the whole world, not just in Ireland. And that's not to mention the supplementary industries that sea power projects can support in coastal communities.

Irish ports are already in a good position to capitalise on investments in offshore renewable energy services. And Power From The Sea can even be good for marine wildlife if done properly.

Aside from the green sector, our coastal waters also hold a wealth of oil and gas resources that numerous prospectors are hoping to exploit, even if people in coastal and island areas are as yet unsure of the potential benefits or pitfalls for their communities.

Changing Ocean Climate

Our ocean and climate are inextricably linked - the ocean plays a crucial role in the global climate system in a number of ways. These include absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere and absorbing 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity. But our marine ecosystems are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change.

The Marine Institute, with its national and international partners, works to observe and understand how our ocean is changing and analyses, models and projects the impacts of our changing oceans. Advice and forecasting projections of our changing oceans and climate are essential to create effective policies and management decisions to safeguard our ocean.

Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, said, “Our ocean is fundamental to life on earth and affects so many facets of our everyday activities. One of the greatest challenges we face as a society is that of our changing climate. The strong international collaborations that the Marine Institute has built up over decades facilitates a shared focusing on our changing ocean climate and developing new and enhanced ways of monitoring it and tracking changes over time.

“Our knowledge and services help us to observe these patterns of change and identify the steps to safeguard our marine ecosystems for future generations.”

The Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate research survey, which has been running since 2004, facilitates long term monitoring of the deep water environment to the west of Ireland. This repeat survey, which takes place on board RV Celtic Explorer, enables scientists to establish baseline oceanic conditions in Irish waters that can be used as a benchmark for future changes.

Scientists collect data on temperature, salinity, water currents, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Atlantic Ocean. This high quality oceanographic data contributes to the Atlantic Ocean Observing System. Physical oceanographic data from the survey is submitted to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and, in addition, the survey contributes to national research such as the VOCAB ocean acidification and biogeochemistry project, the ‘Clean Atlantic’ project on marine litter and the A4 marine climate change project.

Dr Caroline Cusack, who co-ordinates scientific activities on board the RV Celtic Explorer for the annual survey, said, “The generation of long-term series to monitor ocean climate is vital to allow us understand the likely impact of future changes in ocean climate on ecosystems and other marine resources.”

Other activities during the survey in 2019 included the deployment of oceanographic gliders, two Argo floats (Ireland’s contribution to EuroArgo) and four surface drifters (Interreg Atlantic Area Clean Atlantic project). The new Argo floats have the capacity to measure dissolved ocean and biogeochemical parameters from the ocean surface down to a depth of 2,000 metres continuously for up to four years, providing important information as to the health of our oceans.

During the 2019 survey, the RV Celtic Explorer retrieved a string of oceanographic sensors from the deep ocean at an adjacent subsurface moored station and deployed a replacement M6 weather buoy, as part of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON).

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the IMDBON is managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann and is designed to improve weather forecasts and safety at sea around Ireland. The data buoys have instruments which collect weather and ocean data including wind speed and direction, pressure, air and sea surface temperature and wave statistics. This data provides vital information for weather forecasts, shipping bulletins, gale and swell warnings as well as data for general public information and research.

“It is only in the last 20 years, meteorologists and climatologists have really began to understood the pivotal role the ocean plays in determining our climate and weather,” said Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann. “The real-time information provided by the Irish data buoy network is particularly important for our mariners and rescue services. The M6 data buoy in the Atlantic provides vital information on swell waves generated by Atlantic storms. Even though the weather and winds may be calm around our shores, there could be some very high swells coming in from Atlantic storms.”