The Marine Institute has announced the appointment of two Directors to the state agency’s Senior Leadership Team. Dr Ciaran Kelly has been appointed Director of Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services and Joe Silke to the position of Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services.
Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute said, “I congratulate Dr Ciaran Kelly and Joe Silke on their appointments to the Marine Institute’s Senior Leadership Team. Both Ciaran and Joe bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to these roles, and will lead our people in undertaking innovative research and providing a range of monitoring, scientific and technical services to government, agencies and industry.”
The Marine Institute’s Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services team research, assess and advise on the sustainable exploitation of Ireland’s fisheries resource and marine ecosystems.
Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services, Joe Silke Photo: Andrew Downes
Dr Ciaran Kelly graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in marine biology and a PhD in Fisheries Science from University College Dublin. Starting as a researcher on commercial deep water fish species on trawlers out of Killybegs, Ciaran has gone on to lead the acoustic survey and pelagic assessment teams at the Marine Institute, before managing the national Marine Research Funding Programme. He has been involved in advice provision to government managers and policy makers for over 20 years, playing a key role in the development of the Maximum Sustainable Yield advice framework and the development of advice for data limited stocks at the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
As the Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services, Joe Silke will lead the team responsible for scientific services to government in support of evidence-based policy advice and to meet objectives for safe seafood, sustainable development of the marine environment and fish health.
Joe studied in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and in Trinity College Dublin where he qualified with a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science. His career originated in the aquaculture industry where he worked in shellfish hatcheries and on-growing facilities, and innovative production methods through the 1980s. He then moved into research activities in phytoplankton and oceanography, and carried out several projects in the field of marine aquaculture development and environmental surveying. Joe has served on several international working groups and is the current Chair of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms.
The Marine Institute is the State agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland. The Marine Institute carries out environmental, fisheries, and aquaculture surveys and monitoring programmes to meet Ireland's national and international legal requirements. The Institute also provides scientific and technical advice to Government to help inform policy and to support the sustainable development of Ireland's marine resource.
The Marine Institute aims to safeguard Ireland's unique marine heritage through research and environmental monitoring. Its research, strategic funding programmes, and national marine research platforms support the development of Ireland's maritime economy.
