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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: Under23

#Rowing: Ronan Byrne won his repechage and will compete in the A Final of the men’s single sculls at the European Under-23 Championships in Ioannina in Greece on Sunday. Lightweight single sculler Hugh Moore will compete in the B Final and the double of Ross Corrigan and Alex Byrne the C Final. Both crews placed fourth in their repechages.

European Under-23 Championships, Ioannina, Greece, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 4 Ireland (A Byrne, R Corrigan) 6:46.07. Repechage (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 4 Byrne, Corrigan 6:50.42.

Single Sculls – Heat One (First to Final; rest to Repechage): 2 R Byrne 7:06.43. Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final: 1 Byrne 7:11.85

Lightweight Single – Heat One (First to Final; rest to Repechage): 5 H Moore 7:38.67. Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 4 Moore 7:21.09.

Women

Four, coxed – Exhibition/Race for Lanes: 3 Ireland 7:24.60

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Ireland’s first outings at the European Under-23 Championships in Ioannina, Greece, sent three of the four crews to repechages. Ronan Byrne, who took silver in the double sculls at the senior World Championships, needed to win his heat of the single, but finished second behind Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece. The men’s double and lightweight single will also have to compete in repechages to progress.

 The women’s coxed four finished third in their five-boat race for lanes.    

European Under-23 Championships, Ioannina, Greece, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 4 Ireland (A Byrne, R Corrigan) 6:46.07.

Single Sculls – Heat One (First to Final; rest to Repechage): 2 R Byrne 7:06.43.

Lightweight Single – Heat One (First to Final; rest to Repechage): 5 H Moore 7:38.67.

Women

Four, coxed – Exhibition/Race for Lanes: 3 Ireland 7:24.60

Published in Rowing

#Canoeing: Ronan Foley finished sixth in the A Final of the men’s K1 1,000 metres at the canoe sprint World Under-23 Championships today in Pitesti, Romania. Thomas Green of Australia won gold, with Germany’s Jakob Thordsen second and Hungary’s Adam Varga third. Foley, in his first year since moving up from junior, came in 8.24 seconds behind Green.  

 

Published in Canoeing

#Rowing: Rowing Ireland has launched Greenblades, an initiative to help fund the junior, under 23 and development teams by means of donations. Currently, development rowers often call heavily on support from their families, as well as Rowing Ireland and whatever other funding they can muster.

 It takes a lot to be an international rower and stars like Sanita Puspure, Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan have been supported in their development before they reached the top level in the world.

 Rowing Ireland says that Greenblades will ensure that athletes who are representing Ireland will be supported to reach their full potential so that they can compete at the highest level possible. 

 Rowing Ireland’s chief executive, Michelle Carpenter said: “It is key that we do everything to support our up-and-coming athletes as we prepare to successfully support their future careers by giving them the opportunity to row in Paris [the 2024  Olympic Games] and beyond. 

 She said that the athletes are the future of Irish rowing. Consideraton must be give to the next two years, but also the next four and eight years. 

 “Rowing should be accessible to everyone who wants to compete, be it at domestic or high-performance level,” Carpenter added.

 Rowing Ireland says that all donations will go directly to the athletes who will be competing at the World Under-23 Championships in Florida and the World Junior Championships in Tokyo.

 Donations can be made at greenblades.ie 

Published in Rowing

#Canoeing: Ireland paddler Noel Hendrick qualified for the semi-finals at the European Under-23 Championships today. The K1 competitor went straight through from the first run, taking 13th with a round with no touches at Liptovsky Mikulas in Slovakia. Eoin Teague fell just outside qualification in the same event in the second run.

 Thirty of the 61 paddlers made it through to the semis. Hendrick will go off in the final 15 in the semi.

 

Published in Canoeing

#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 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: Ireland finished fifth in the A Final of the women’s eight at the European Under-23 Rowing Championships today. The crew, stroked by Emily Hegarty were well behind the top four, which fought it out for medals, but beat Germany, as they had in the race for lanes on Saturday. Russia took gold, Romania silver and Britain won a battle for bronze by .36 of a second from Belarus.  

European Under-23 Championships, Kruszwica, Poland, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Czech Republic 7:34.58, 2 Ireland (A Goff) 7:37.64, 3 Sweden 7:42.26.

Semi One: 1 Austria 7:32.69, 2 Turkey 7:34.45, 3 Slovenia 7:40.16

A Final: 1 Czech Republic 7:44.38, 2 Austria 7:46.64, 3 Slovenia 7:48.58; 5 Ireland (A Goff) 7:58.72.  

Women

Eight – A Final: 1 Russia 6:45.58, 2 Romania 6:46.44, 3 Britain 6:49.16; 5 Ireland (R Gilligan, N Landers, C Feerick, C Dempsey, A Corcoran, O Forde, S O’Connor, E Hegarty; cox C O’Connell) 7:11.26

 

Published in Rowing
Tagged under

#Rowing: Ireland’s Andrew Goff finished fifth at the European Under-23 Rowing Championships in Poland today. Jan Cincibuch of the Czech Republic won gold. He finished ahead of Austria, Slovenia and Turkey, who battled it out for the other medals, with Turkey’s Enes Yenipazarli missing out, though he had shown real guts to take on Cincibuch. Goff was not able to bridge the gap to this leading group.

 The Ireland women’s eight are set to compete in their A Final in Kruszwica at 1.45 Irish time.

European Under-23 Championships, Kruszwica, Poland, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Czech Republic 7:34.58, 2 Ireland (A Goff) 7:37.64, 3 Sweden 7:42.26.

Semi One: 1 Austria 7:32.69, 2 Turkey 7:34.45, 3 Slovenia 7:40.16. A Final: 1 Czech Republic 7:44.38, 2 Austria 7:46.64, 3 Slovenia 7:48.58; 5 Ireland (A Goff) 7:58.72.  

 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Ireland’s under-23 heavyweight quadruple qualified for the semi-finals at the World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam today. The crew of Daniel Buckley, Jack Casey, Patrick Boomer and Sam McKeown took the third qualification place behind Britain and Russia in their repechage. They join the Ireland under-23 lightweight pair and lightweight quadruple, which qualified from their heats.

World Rowing Championships, Rotterdam (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Under-23 Quadruple - Repechage One (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Britain 5:54.05, 2 Russia 5:56.18, 3 Ireland (D Buckley, J Casey, P Boomer, S McKeown) 5:57.67.

Published in Rowing
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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.”