#RESEARCH VESSEL CHARTER - The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) have chartered the Cosantoir Bradan from the Central Fisheries Board The fisheries patrol cutter is to be used in conjunction with the RV Keary for survey work, including bottom survey…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) reports that two marine science students from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) have joined IWDG members on an eight-day transatlantic cetacean and bird survey on board the RV Celtic…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The second largest fish in the sea is making its return to British and Irish waters - and experts are calling on the general public to report any sightings, as BBC News reports. Basking sharks are a…

#BELFAST BASIN CLOSURE – The Belfast Harbour website has a notice informing the temporary closure of the Abercorn Basin over this May Bank Holiday weekend. The closure times of the basin are from 12.00pm on Sunday 6th May as this…

#POWER FROM THE SEA – Wicklow based Island Shipping's twin-screw tug Husky returned to her homeport last month having completed a 300-day charter at the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind-farm in the North Sea, writes Jehan Ashmore. The multi-purpose 10 tonne…

#CASTLETOWNBERE –The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD officially opened the major new €39.5 million Dinish Wharf Development on Dinish Island at Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre and also launched the community led development strategy - 'Castletownbere…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is urging its supporters in Northern Ireland to vote 'yes' for the creation of a Marine Bill for the North. It follows a meeting last month of the…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The mystery creature washed up on a Co Clare beach last month has been confirmed to be a long-finned pilot whale, and not a narwhal as had been alleged. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the situation was…

#COASTAL NOTES - The Belfast Telegraph reports that one Co Donegal seaside town is returning to its past in an effort to attract more visitors. Buncrana is set to bring back the diving boards that once lined its shorefront some…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - A minke whale died shortly after washing ashore in what was a rare stranding on Achill Island last week, according to Mayo News. The whale, reportedly and eight-metre adult male, was discovered beached on Keel beach last…

#MARINE SCIENCE – Dr Peter Heffernan CEO, Marine Institute, and Prof Ian Wright, Deputy Director, Science and Technology, National Oceanography Centre (UK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to-day (24th April), in the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Food…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) has recently teamed up with the Technical University of Catalonia in Spain, the Marine Institute and Biospheric Engineering Ltd to begin a project studying ocean noise in Irish waters. Anthropogenic noise, or…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - Young people from across Northern Ireland showcased their "green-minded" projects to a panel of judges at the 'Dragon's Den' style ECO-Den event at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre last week. All were hoping that their project would…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The famous dolphins of Cardigan Bay have been found to cross the Irish Sea to spend their winter holidays in the Isle of Man, WalesOnline reports. New evidence uncovered by researchers at the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - Researchers with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) have arrived in Cape Verde to continue their studies on the North Atlantic humpback whale. In what is the fourth expedition by the IWDG to the islands off…

#WEYMOUTH – The UKHO in collaboration with Portland and Weymouth Harbour Authorities has produced a laminated Admiralty chartlet specifically for visitors to the Olympic sailing events 2012. It shows all the official information needed by visitors to the area and…