A new short film comes with a message that we can all ‘sea’ the future of Ireland’s ocean wealth together.
The video was launched by the Marine Institute as part of the final week of its Oceans of Learning programme, which has been celebrating our connection to the seas with a new marine research topic each week over the last 10 weeks.
The final week, One Shared Ocean, One Shared Future, had focused on the importance of local, national and international collaboration to explore and understand our marine resource.
“Our ocean is our greatest national resource,” says Dr Paul Connolly, chief executive of the Marine Institute.
“As a nation, Ireland made a strategic choice to develop a greater appreciation of its maritime heritage and of the opportunities presented by its 880,000 sq km marine territory.
“The Marine Institute’s work in co-ordinating and promoting marine research is essential for achieving a sustainable ocean economy, protecting ecosystems and inspiring a shared understanding of the ocean.”
He adds: “Looking to the future, there’s enormous opportunity for Ireland and its people to be engaged in ocean innovation and research — and what could be described as the last great exploration campaign on Earth.”
The launch bookends the final Oceans of Learning theme with last week’s special interview with former astronaut and now marine researcher Kathy Sullivan — the first person to visit both deep space and the furthest depths of the ocean.
