The Department of Transport has been advised that a benthic (seafloor ecology) survey will be undertaken in the Irish Sea, off the coast of counties Wicklow and Wexford, to maintain an up-to-date understanding of the benthic ecology to facilitate the sustainable development of the Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 project.
The survey will involve the use of drop down video (DDV) to record footage of the seafloor and the lowering of a day grab to take a 0.1 m² sample of the sediment for analysis. The survey work is anticipated to run from Sunday 1 September to the end of the month, subject to weather and operational constraints.
The survey will be confined to the proposed Arklow Bank Wind Park 2 area and focused on the offshore export cable routes from landfall and the array area. The Arklow Bank area is located around 3-7 nautical miles off the coast of counties Wicklow and Wexford, consisting of a north-south trending sandbank around 12nm in length and sub-parallel to the coastline between Ardmore point and Kilmichael point.
The survey will be conducted by the vessel Husky (callsign 2EQI7). Due to the deployment of equipment from the vessel for the duration of the survey activities, the survey vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre when surveying.
All other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the area. The work vessel will display appropriate lights and signals.
A map and coordinates of the survey area, as well as contact details, can be found in Marine Notice No 50 of 2024 attached below.