The Marine Institute has successfully deployed a state-of-the-art data buoy in the tidal Lough Furnace in Co Mayo.
This new buoy is touted as a major boost to Ireland’s capacity to monitor the impacts of climate change and support evidence-based climate action in Ireland and the EU.
Equipped with advanced aquatic and atmospheric sensors, the new buoy will provide real-time data on key environmental aquatic parameters, including water temperature, salinity, dissolved gases (eg oxygen), acidity (pH) and water clarity.
This information will feed into long-term datasets crucial for understanding how climate change impacts aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture.
The buoy was deployed as part of the Marine Knowledge Scheme, funded through the European Maritime, Aquaculture and Fisheries Fund (EMFAF) 2021–2027 and co-funded by the Government of Ireland.
This scheme, implemented by the Marine Institute, promotes the dissemination of marine and climate knowledge and data to strengthen sustainable ocean management.
Russell Poole, section manager at Marine Institute, Newport said: “This monitoring sentinel buoy builds on over 70 years of research in the Burrishoole Catchment in Newport, a site of unique significance on a global scale.
“It also complements the work undertaken with our colleagues in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) and with our higher education partners, including the University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University and Dundalk Institute of Technology.”
The Marine Institute is managing long-term monitoring projects at key sites, including Mace Head and Lehanagh Pool in Co Galway, and now Lough Furnace. Together, these monitoring stations provide detailed insights into plankton ecology, nutrient levels, dissolved oxygen levels, carbon emissions and broader oceanographic conditions.
This high-quality marine data is intended to equip policymakers, and society at large, with the knowledge needed to respond effectively to the growing challenges of climate change.
Through EMFAF support, the Marine Knowledge Scheme helps deliver Ireland’s Climate Action Plan, as committed to in the Programme for Government and outlined in the Climate Act 2021, which aims to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.
Improved marine data also supports Ireland’s obligations under the Common Fisheries Policy, the National Marine Planning Framework and EU environmental directives on habitats, birds and water.
“The deployment of the buoy at Lough Furnace is a significant boost for Ireland’s marine climate monitoring network,” said Ciaran Kelly, director of fisheries ecosystems advisory services at the Marine Institute. “Generating robust, long-term data enhances our ability to make evidence-based policy for effective climate action.”
Near real time data can be viewed on dashboards for Mace Head and Lehanagh Pool.
