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Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

A Harbour Seal photographed at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas. Photo: AfloatA photograph of a Harbour Seal taken at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, this species can be found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are the most widely distributed species of pinnipeds and can be found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Photo: Afloat

Marine Environment, Science, wildlife, weather & Ocean energy
A guided walk will take place on Tuesday, June 27th, at Rinn Rua (Rinroe) beach
A unique north Mayo beach is the location for one of a number of events being run for World Sand Dune Day. A guided walk will take place on Tuesday, June 27th, at Rinn Rua (Rinroe) beach, hosted by An…
Angelsharks - now a critically endangered species in Irish waters
An ecological analysis of the western Irish Sea for potential marine protected areas warns of “significant spatial squeeze” if both offshore wind farms and commercial fishing are excluded from sensitive habitats. As The Sunday Independent reports, a report for the…
The last voyage of the Aran island owned fishing vessels Connacht Ranger and Conquest across the North Sea
Two Aran island fishing vessels which were approved for Ireland’s decommissioning scheme, recently completed their last trip before being broken up. The 17-metre Connacht Ranger and the 20-metre Conquest were photographed on their journey from Ireland to Denmark. Skipper-owner John…
Carlingford Marina has put together a 'jam-packed' schedule of events called Carlingford Cruising Week that is designed to show off Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Marina in County Lough has put together a 'jam-packed' schedule of events that will take place in the week leading up to this year’s Moneley Oyster Pearl Regatta. This will be the first year of the Carlingford Cruising Week,…
Connecting Europe Facility banner
Minsters have welcomed the €11 million in co-funding for transport projects in Ireland under the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) which will support two port-related schemes. As reported earlier on Afloat.ie, Irish Rail will receive €2.5 million for studies…
Rosslare Europort has secured the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding for the port’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) project.
In the south-east Rosslare Europort has been named today as a direct port recipient in Ireland of securing EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding in the latest CEF call down. In what is a major boost and vote of confidence by the…
The EU is particularly vulnerable because high economic activity itself increases the risks of biological invasions via trade and the transportation of goods among member states without substantial border control, the study notes
Unreported costs of biological invasions have been calculated at €26.64 billion (US$28.0 billion) in the EU, according to a new study. The study's Lead researcher, Morgane Henry from McGill University in Canada, says there has been a “shocking underestimation of…
The Marine Institute locations in Oranmore, Co. Galway, and Newport, Co. Mayo welcome 22 university students this month to take part in the 2023 Summer Bursary programme. The bursary facilitates research, collaboration, and mutual education for a period of eight…
Fionn Ferreira
An Irish postgraduate’s novel solution to removing microplastics from water has landed him on the shortlist for a prestigious European prize. Fionn Ferreira, a chemistry Master’s degree student and teaching assistant at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, has…
The European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2023 (ECCA) was held in Dublin this week
As the North Atlantic is beset by a marine “heatwave”, a new climate dataset project aims to inform adaptation to changing weather in Ireland. The “Translate” project involving Met Éireann combines all previous climate projects “of relevance” for Ireland to…
Local photographer Andrew Harris snapped the rocket engine after it was landed by fishermen from Union Hall
Mystery surrounds a rocket engine hauled from the sea by fishermen off the Irish coast earlier this month. According to Echo Live, the rocket motor was found by fishermen from Union Hall trawling for monkfish some 200 miles south of…
Aran Island GP Dr Marion Broderick is retiring
Long-serving Aran Islands GP Dr Marion Broderick is retiring but will continue as a medical officer for the RNLI lifeboat. As The Irish Independent reports today, Broderick has spent 42 years working in one of the busiest offshore practices in…
A seagrass meadow at Kilmore Quay
Scientists warn that an “unheard of” marine heatwave in the waters off Ireland and Great Britain poses a significant threat to marine wildlife and plant life. As the Guardian reports, the emerging El Niño conditions in the North Atlantic and…
Currach crews from all over Ireland competed for the 2023 Three Island Challenge off Skerries , Dublin . The race for Irish traditional boats saw teams rowing their currachaí a 7 km kilometer circuit around the three islands off the coast of the North Co. Dublin town (Colt Island, St. Patrick's Island and Shenick Island), before returning to shore to claim the 'East Coast Currach Rowing Championship Perpetual Cup'. Photo shows Brothers Ronan, Simon and Michael O’ Domhnaill from Gweedore Co Donegal who won the Three Island challenge in Skerries celebrate after landing with their Trophy
A team of three Donegal brothers have won the Three Island currach rowing challenge in Skerries, Co Dublin, this weekend. Simon, Ronan and Michael O Dómhnaill from Gaoth Dobhair had won the race for traditional currachs in 2021, and were…
UN senior advisor on oceans Vincent Doumeizel is speaking at the Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas on Saturday, June 17
Stewardship of our coastal waters, our rich seaweed resource and its potential to mitigate climate change is the theme of a discussion involving two leading marine experts at the Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas this Saturday, June 17th.…
The Aran Islands RNLI All-weather Severn Lifeboat
The Volunteer lifeboat crew of the Aran Islands RNLI was requested to launch their All-weather Severn Lifeboat at 1.58am on Wednesday June 14 to attend to a woman with an injured ankle in need of further medical attention on Inis…

For all you need on the Marine Environment - covering the latest news and updates on marine science and wildlife, weather and climate, power from the sea and Ireland's coastal regions and communities - the place to be is Afloat.ie.

Coastal Notes

The Coastal Notes category covers a broad range of stories, events and developments that have an impact on Ireland's coastal regions and communities, whose lives and livelihoods are directly linked with the sea and Ireland's coastal waters.

Topics covered in Coastal Notes can be as varied as the rare finding of sea-life creatures, an historic shipwreck with secrets to tell, or even a trawler's net caught hauling much more than just fish.

Other angles focusing the attention of Coastal Notes are Ireland's maritime museums, which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of our nautical heritage, and those who harvest the sea using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety pose an issue, plying their trade along the rugged wild western seaboard.

Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied as the environment they come from, and which shape people's interaction with the natural world and our relationship with the sea.

Marine Wildlife

One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with Marine Wildlife. It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. And as boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify, even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat. Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse, it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to our location in the North Atlantic, there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe. From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals, the Marine Wildlife category documents the most interesting accounts around our shores. And we're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and video clips, too!

Also valuable is the unique perspective of all those who go afloat, from coastal sailing to sea angling to inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing, as what they encounter can be of great importance to organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). Thanks to their work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. But as impressive as the list is, the experts believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves, keep a sharp look out!

Weather

As an island in the North Atlantic, Ireland's fate is decided by Weather more so than many other European countries. When storm-force winds race across the Irish Sea, ferry and shipping services are cut off, disrupting our economy. When swollen waves crash on our shores, communities are flooded and fishermen brace for impact - both to their vessels and to their livelihoods.

Keeping abreast of the weather, therefore, is as important to leisure cruisers and fishing crews alike - for whom a small craft warning can mean the difference between life and death - as it is to the communities lining the coast, where timely weather alerts can help protect homes and lives.

Weather affects us all, and Afloat.ie will keep you informed on the hows and the whys.

Marine Science

Perhaps it's the work of the Irish research vessels RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager out in the Atlantic Ocean that best highlights the essential nature of Marine Science for the future growth of Ireland's emerging 'blue economy'.

From marine research to development and sustainable management, Ireland is developing a strong and well-deserved reputation as an emerging centre of excellence. Whether it's Wavebob ocean energy technology to aquaculture to weather buoys and oil exploration, the Marine Science category documents the work of Irish marine scientists and researchers and how they have secured prominent roles in many European and international marine science bodies.

Power From The Sea

The message from the experts is clear: offshore wind and wave energy is the future. And as Ireland looks towards the potential of the renewable energy sector, generating Power From The Sea will become a greater priority in the State's 'blue growth' strategy.

Developments and activities in existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector, and those of the energy exploration industry, point to the future of energy requirements for the whole world, not just in Ireland. And that's not to mention the supplementary industries that sea power projects can support in coastal communities.

Irish ports are already in a good position to capitalise on investments in offshore renewable energy services. And Power From The Sea can even be good for marine wildlife if done properly.

Aside from the green sector, our coastal waters also hold a wealth of oil and gas resources that numerous prospectors are hoping to exploit, even if people in coastal and island areas are as yet unsure of the potential benefits or pitfalls for their communities.

Changing Ocean Climate

Our ocean and climate are inextricably linked - the ocean plays a crucial role in the global climate system in a number of ways. These include absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere and absorbing 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity. But our marine ecosystems are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change.

The Marine Institute, with its national and international partners, works to observe and understand how our ocean is changing and analyses, models and projects the impacts of our changing oceans. Advice and forecasting projections of our changing oceans and climate are essential to create effective policies and management decisions to safeguard our ocean.

Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, said, “Our ocean is fundamental to life on earth and affects so many facets of our everyday activities. One of the greatest challenges we face as a society is that of our changing climate. The strong international collaborations that the Marine Institute has built up over decades facilitates a shared focusing on our changing ocean climate and developing new and enhanced ways of monitoring it and tracking changes over time.

“Our knowledge and services help us to observe these patterns of change and identify the steps to safeguard our marine ecosystems for future generations.”

The Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate research survey, which has been running since 2004, facilitates long term monitoring of the deep water environment to the west of Ireland. This repeat survey, which takes place on board RV Celtic Explorer, enables scientists to establish baseline oceanic conditions in Irish waters that can be used as a benchmark for future changes.

Scientists collect data on temperature, salinity, water currents, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Atlantic Ocean. This high quality oceanographic data contributes to the Atlantic Ocean Observing System. Physical oceanographic data from the survey is submitted to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and, in addition, the survey contributes to national research such as the VOCAB ocean acidification and biogeochemistry project, the ‘Clean Atlantic’ project on marine litter and the A4 marine climate change project.

Dr Caroline Cusack, who co-ordinates scientific activities on board the RV Celtic Explorer for the annual survey, said, “The generation of long-term series to monitor ocean climate is vital to allow us understand the likely impact of future changes in ocean climate on ecosystems and other marine resources.”

Other activities during the survey in 2019 included the deployment of oceanographic gliders, two Argo floats (Ireland’s contribution to EuroArgo) and four surface drifters (Interreg Atlantic Area Clean Atlantic project). The new Argo floats have the capacity to measure dissolved ocean and biogeochemical parameters from the ocean surface down to a depth of 2,000 metres continuously for up to four years, providing important information as to the health of our oceans.

During the 2019 survey, the RV Celtic Explorer retrieved a string of oceanographic sensors from the deep ocean at an adjacent subsurface moored station and deployed a replacement M6 weather buoy, as part of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON).

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the IMDBON is managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann and is designed to improve weather forecasts and safety at sea around Ireland. The data buoys have instruments which collect weather and ocean data including wind speed and direction, pressure, air and sea surface temperature and wave statistics. This data provides vital information for weather forecasts, shipping bulletins, gale and swell warnings as well as data for general public information and research.

“It is only in the last 20 years, meteorologists and climatologists have really began to understood the pivotal role the ocean plays in determining our climate and weather,” said Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann. “The real-time information provided by the Irish data buoy network is particularly important for our mariners and rescue services. The M6 data buoy in the Atlantic provides vital information on swell waves generated by Atlantic storms. Even though the weather and winds may be calm around our shores, there could be some very high swells coming in from Atlantic storms.”