Tune into a live chat with Ireland’s marine scientists to celebrate World Oceans Day next Wednesday 8 June.
The conversation will be broadcast live on the Marine Institute’s socials — Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube — at 10.30am.
Join Marine Institute scientists David O’Sullivan, Claire Moore, David Stokes and Caroline Cusack to hear what it’s like to survey our seas on Ireland’s national marine research vessels.
The RV Celtic Explorer and the RV Celtic Voyager are among the most intensively used research vessels in the world, and have played an essential role in fisheries surveys, seabed mapping, and oceanographic research.
Expeditions on the RV Celtic Explorer in Irish and international waters have resulted in many exciting discoveries — from deep-water shark nurseries and cold-water coral reefs to to hydrothermal vents fields in the mid-Atlantic.
The panel of scientists will share what they enjoy about their work at sea and some of their most memorable experiences while on board. They will also talk about their career paths and offer advice for those interested in pursuing marine and maritime careers.
This live broadcast is part of the Marine Institute’s Oceans of Learning series, which aims to remind everyone of the major role the ocean has on our everyday lives and to inspire a new generation of ocean champions.
More about the scientists taking part in the live chat:
David O’Sullivan, Advanced Mapping Services
David is part of the Advanced Mapping Services team at the Marine Institute and Ireland’s national seabed mapping programme, INFOMAR. David was offshore chief scientist for the SeaRover surveys (2017-2019) which mapped sensitive marine habitats at depths of up to 3,000 metres in Ireland’s offshore territory using the ROV Holland 1. The SeaRover team mapped cold-water coral reefs, documented new species within Irish waters and discovered a rare shark nursery 200 miles west of Ireland.
Claire Moore, Fisheries Scientist
Claire is a fisheries ecologist, and says she feels more like a detective then a biologist. She works on solving biological puzzles around the health and productivity of our oceans, piecing together valuable information collected at sea, in ports and labs, to produce statistical models that inform our decisions for a sustainable future.
David Stokes, Fisheries Scientist
David is an enthusiastic fisheries scientist with over 25 years’ experience in data collection and analysis, both in marine and freshwater. David has worked with the Marine Institute for the last 22 years to run the Irish Groundfish Survey programme on the RV Celtic Explorer, which originally started on the RV Celtic Voyager combined with chartered commercial fishing vessels.
Caroline Cusack, Biological Oceanographer
Caroline leads the Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate survey on the RV Celtic Explorer. She is also involved in ocean observation projects that monitor the health of our ocean. Recently she has carried out research related to developing marine ecosystem climate services.
