Marine Environment, Science, wildlife, weather & Ocean energy
The lockdown means the ferry from Roonagh pier near Louisburgh, Co. Mayo will bring no one out to Clare island who doesn’t live there. Above AFLOAT adds is the passenger only Sea Sprinter alongside passenger and ro-ro freight ferry Clew Bay Queen operated by the O'Grady family noting the O'Malley's also have a ferry service on the same route. The ro-ro ferry previously named Árainn Mhór served Arannmore Island Ferry Services to the island off Co. Donegal. The 1972 built ferry was originally launched as Kilbrannan for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) services on the Scottish Western Isles. The vessel can carry 96 passengers, 6 cars and heavy freight using an on board crane for cargo that can include bales of wool.
On Clare Island is Padraig O’Malley's crocery and post office and what is also a wonderfully balmy, sunny day – with clear blue sky above and 7km of turquoise sea separating the island from the Mayo mainland. “It’s not getting…
One of the basking sharks filmed by surfers off Co Clare at the weekend
A surfing quartet got up close with a school of basking sharks off Co Clare at the weekend, as the Irish Examiner reports. The surfers had brought a GoPro camera to video their wave-riding exploits, which came in handy to…
Rosslare Europort Business Park Energises Offshore Renewable Wind
A Dutch company is to establish an offshore wind supply base at the Port of Rosslare. In early 2020, XELLZ secured approximately 200,000 sqm of land at the port of Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland. XELLZ has now divided…
'Ghost Ship' - Alta AFLOAT adds shows the starboard side of the cargoship which earlier this year went aground on the Cork coastline close to Ballycotton
Maritime salvage experts internationally say it could cost upwards of €10m to salvage the (cargoship) MV Alta. The 'ghost ship' washed ashore off the Cork coast earlier this year. The Receiver of Wreck said it was still trying to establish…
Island lifeline as cargoship Saoirse na Mara AFLOAT adds trades on the Galway-Aran Islands route is operated by Lasta Mara Teo. The state subsidised service transports freight and supplies plus vehicles to islanders while the Covid-19 crisis continues. Only islanders and those in emergency providing essential services e.g doctors, Gardaí and others can take the ferryboat while tourists will have to wait until restrictions are eventually lifted.
Inisheer off Co. Galway, at this time of year is normally a hive of activity with bands of tourists alighting from the ferries ready to soak up the peace and quiet. Or they may be arriving for Irish language or…
Humpback whale number HBIRL55 spotted off the Kerry coast
Nearly half of all humpback whales identified in Irish waters have been spotted off the coast of Co Kerry. That’s according to new figures from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), which also reveal that nearly 100 of the…
File image of Cork Lough
Turtles spotted basking in Cork City’s Lough have raised concerns over the balance of its fragile ecosystem, as the Irish Examiner reports. The seven amphibians, which could be freshwater terrapins, are believed to have been unwanted pets released into the…
To investigate the impact of microplastic exposure, the research team divided hermit crabs between experimental tanks, half containing microplastics while the other half had no plastic
New marine research from Queen’s University Belfast and Liverpool John Moores University reveals how the microplastic pollution crisis is threatening biodiversity. Currently up to 10 per cent of global plastic production ends up in the sea although the understanding of…
These photos from the previous expedition in 2018 show the scientists going out to lay the sensors which they are now heading out to sea to collect
A team of scientists who have been self-isolating like astronauts for the past fortnight set sail from Galway at the weekend on an unusual mission. Six researchers from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and 15 crew on Marine…
Students taking part in the offshore practical portion of the new MSc seabed mapping module
A new Master’s course specialising in remote sensing and the principles of seabed mapping has been successfully delivered by a joint partnership between the Department of Geography at the Maynooth University and Ireland’s marine mapping programme INFOMAR. The level 9…
The Folkboat Jester as created by solo pioneer Blondie Hasler to set an easily-handled Chinese junk-style rig. Jamie & Mary Young of Killary Adventure Centre sailed her across the Atlantic for their honeymoon cruise
The wind is free. No-one disputes that. But harnessing its power can be a very expensive business, particularly if you’re trying to do it at the top level of international competition writes WM Nixon. Yet at a more mundane level of…
Boating on the Shannon is a major focus for tourism development
​The public consultation on the draft Shannon Tourism Masterplan and Environmental Report will close at 4pm this coming Wednesday 22 April. Members of the public can review all the documents online and make their submission through the online survey. The…
Professor Dearbháile Morris, School of Medicine, NUI Galway
More than 90% of samples taken from Irish rivers show the presence of E. coli, according to a new study from NUI Galway. And researchers found that the toxic bacteria was also present in bathing waters which pass muster with…
Authors of the study hold up the square mesh panel, inserted into the otter-trawl net with LEDs attached. Lights help to increase escapement of fish through the large square mesh in the panel
Illuminated exits are as useful to fish as to humans in a tight spot. Newly published research has found that artificial light on square mesh panels in nets can help to reduce unwanted bycatch of fish. The study, published in…
A screengrab of the dolphins on Belfast Lough. see vid below
People may not be able to go to sea at present due to the Government restrictions but dolphins and porpoises clearly can’t read and so we are seeing reports of their activity in Belfast Lough. Recent sightings include about eight…
Rescuers help carry the stricken dolphin off the sands of Killahoey Beach
Two gardaí teamed up with local coastguard volunteers to help refloat a beached dolphin in Co Donegal yesterday (Monday 13 April). The Garda Review Twitter account shared video of the remarkable rescue at Killahoey Beach as the small group of…

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