#MARINE SCIENCE - An Irish marine science company will lead a new research project using satellites to monitor coastal outlets in Europe, as Silicon Republic reports.

TechWorks Marine, based in Dun Laoghaire, has won the contract to head up the European Space Agency's earth observation project in what is a first for any Irish company.

The business specialises in real-time marine data platforms, and in this project will be using its expertise to assist operators and developers of water treatment plants to help reduce their impact on the environment.

A main focus of the observation research will be the coastal effect of wastewater treatment in Donegal Bay.

TechWorks Marine MD Charlotte O'Kelly told Silicon Republic that improvements in sensor technology have prompted the development of satellite imagery of a high enough resolution to allow for close monitoring of coastal activity even from earth orbit.

Minister of State for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock said the contract "clearly indicates that Irish SMEs have the capability and expertise to lead projects in this highly competitive sector".

Silicon Republic has much more on the story HERE.

#marinescience – Galway will celebrate European Researchers' Night on Friday 28th September together with 320 cities around Europe. The Sea2Sky event organised by NUI Galway in collaboration with the Marine Institute, Galway Atlantaquaria and its new partner CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, will showcase science on the grandest of scales themed around marine science, atmospherics and astronomy.

The main events will be held at the Galway Bay Hotel, Leisureland and Galway Atlantaquaria, with events also taking place in CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork.   Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, will officially open the Irish segment of European Researchers Night at 3pm to coincide with events starting right across Europe.

A variety of interactive stands at Galway Bay Hotel will highlight the work of the Marine Institute showing how Ireland's has a rich and diverse marine ecosystem.

"The Sea2Sky event provides a great opportunity for the wider community to engage with scientists and researchers at a local level in Galway and learn about Ireland's marine resource which is ten times the size of its land mass," said Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute.

"As a key step in developing our marine sectors including marine technology, seafood, marine biodiscovery, as well as marine tourism, shipping and oil & gas, it is important at events such as this to help encourage the young people of Galway to consider careers in marine research and science now and in the future," he said.

Celebrating marine science and research the Marine Institute will greet visitors with some of Ireland's most impressive marine science, technology and equipment:

The Marine Institute will be showcasing:

The ROV Holland 1 and a Weather Buoy, which will be on display at the entrance to the main exhibit centre at Galway Bay Hotel.  Scientists and technicians will be there to explain the work of the equipment and recent expeditions.

Inside the exhibit area, Marine Institute scientists will be exhibiting their work relating to:

Marine Environment: The phytoplankton team will be highlighting what life is in the drop of seawater - promoting the Marine Institute's responsibility in monitoring algal blooms and highlighting their work in the national shellfish food safety programmes.  Visitors to the event will get the opportunity to see take the living "invisible" phytoplankton from a rock pool and look at it under a microscope.

Weather Monitoring and Oceanography: Scientists will show a variety of technology used for providing vital data for weather forecasts, shipping bulletins, gale and swell warnings – some of which have recorded Ireland's largest waves at sea.

Advanced Mapping & the Real Map of Ireland: The advanced mapping team will be show casing INFOMAR and seabed mapping and the extent of Ireland's 220 million acre marine resource along with learning about shipwrecks in the deep sea.

Research Vessel's Operations: The RVops team will be displaying the work of the national research vessels RV Celtic Explorer and the RV Celtic Voyager, as well as the remotely operated vehicle  ROV Holland 1 and the special equipment used in different expeditions.

VENTuRE scientific expedition / Biodiscovery and Ecosystem Survey of the Whittard Canyons: A short film will be running throughout the day at the Marine Institute stand, showing the newly discovered and previously uncharted field of hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge taken by the ROV Holland 1 last year.  Amazing footage of the cold water corals and life under the sea at depths of 3000m taken during the  Biodiscovery and Ecosystem Survey of the Whittard Canyons will also be shown.

Explorers Education Programme: The Explorers education officer and her team from Galway Atlantaquaria will also be providing demonstrations to children and school teachers highlighting how the seashore is a vital teaching resource and Through experiments and a  variety of demonstrations children will be able to look at life in a rock pool in the Explorers display tank - the Nobby boat.

"Irish researchers are involved in some huge European research projects, and this is an opportunity to share some of the most exciting elements with the public.  At third-level, we have seen a surge in applications for science related courses and this event will be a real draw for anyone tempted by a career in science and research," said NUI Galway's Dr Andy Shearer, lecturer in physics and organiser of the event.

Last year, some 10,000 people came to the event, and the plan is for an even bigger event this year, with highlights including the CERN exhibit, 3D tours of the universe and tours of the aquarium. This year visitors can participate in experiments, competitions and quizzes, watch demonstrations and simulations, exchange ideas and get to know the researchers at the free family fun event.

This year, Sea2Sky is linking up with the Galway Science Forum's exhibition about the work of CERN – Accelerating Science. This exhibition, sponsored by Boston Scientific in partnership with NUI Galway, will show how CERN's Large Hadron Collider can help us understand fundamental questions about the origins of the universe.

For further details of the event visit www.sea2sky.ie.

#COASTAL NOTES - Coastwatch is appealing to the public to get involved in a country-wide 'eco audit' of Ireland's shoreline.

The Irish Times reports that the survey marks the 25th anniversary of the first Coastwatch audit of the coastline of the island of Ireland.

Coastwatch's latest survey got under way this week. It takes in use of land and shore, quality of inflow water, waste and pollution, and selected coastal and marine wildlife and plantlife.

Co-ordinator Karin Dubsky said: "This is citizen science which empowers people and is relevant locally and internationally to improve coastal zone management, highlight issues and implement the new EU marine directive."

The survey and guide notes can be downloaded by anyone from the Coastwatch website, and completed questionnaires can be submitted by post or online.

#MARINE SCIENCE - Galway will celebrate European Researchers’ Night on Friday 28 September together with 320 cities around Europe with its latest Sea2Sky event.

Sea2Sky, organised by NUI Galway in collaboration with the Marine Institute, Galway Atlantaquaria and its new partner CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, will showcase science on the grandest of scales themed around marine science, atmospherics and astronomy.   

The main events will be held at the Galway Bay Hotel, Leisureland and Galway Atlantaquaria, with events also taking place in CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork.  

“Irish researchers are involved in some huge European research projects, and this is an opportunity to share some of the most exciting elements with the public," said event organiser and NUI Galway physics lecturer Dr Andy Shearer.

"At third level, we have seen a surge in applications for science related courses and this event will be a real draw for anyone tempted by a career in science and research.”

Last year some 10,000 people came to the event, and the plan is for an even bigger event this year, with highlights including the CERN exhibit, 3D tours of the universe and tours of the aquarium. This year visitors can participate in experiments, competitions and quizzes, watch demonstrations and simulations, exchange ideas and get to know the researchers on the free family day. 

Among the showcase exhibits at the Marine Institute will be the ROV Holland 1 and a weather buoy. Scientists and technicians will be on hand to explain the work of their equipment and recent expeditions.

Inside, Marine Institute scientists will exhibit work relating to the marine environment (such as algal blooms), weather monitoring and oceanography, advanced mapping techniqyes, research vessel operations conducted by the R/V Celtic Voyager and R/V Celtic Explorer, and the Explorers Education Programme, which highlights the seashore as a vital teaching resource.

There will also be screenings throughout the day of a short film showing the newly discovered and previously uncharted field of hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge captured by Holland 1 last year.

Footage of the cold water corals and life under the sea at depths of 3,000 metres taken during the Biodiscovery and Ecosystem Survey of the Whittard Canyons will also be shown.

This year, Sea2Sky is linking up with the Galway Science Forum’s exhibition about the work of CERN – Accelerating Science. This exhibition, sponsored by Boston Scientific in partnership with NUI Galway, will show how CERN’s Large Hadron Collider can help us understand fundamental questions about the origins of the universe.   

For further details of the event, visit www.sea2sky.ie.

#MARINE SCIENCE - The Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART) has opened the call for applications for Science@Sea research vessel-based training courses aimed at students of marine-related sciences. 

Science@Sea courses have been running since 2008 and are recognised by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) as a means of contributing towards a student’s professional development and career.    

The two-day training courses will be held between 7 and 12 November 2012 in waters off Cork and will offer students the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience onboard the national research vessel RV Celtic Voyager.

"Science@Sea is unique in that it gives students of marine related sciences a complete guide to working at sea," said SMART national co-ordinator Dr Paulha McGrane. "This not only increases national capacity in carrying out research survey operations but provides graduates with a competitive edge on the national and international jobs market.”

Dr McGrane explained that Science@Sea focuses on practical, cross-disciplinary skills such as sample collection and processing, operation of equipment and instrumentation, and data acquisition and processing.

"Other areas we look at, which are essential to working at sea, include survey design and planning, safety at sea, and post-survey analysis and assessment. To date, students who have participated in Science@Sea have found the course of enormous benefit in securing employment."

Course dates are as follows:

• Postgraduates: 7-8 November 2012
• Undergraduates 1: 9-10 November 2012
• Undergraduates 2: 11-12 November 2012

Applications for Science@Sea and posters advertising the course are available online HERE. Completed applications should be received no later than Friday 5 October 2012.

Please note an administration fee of €50 applies and participants are liable for their own transportation and accommodation costs in Cork. For queries relating to any aspect of the course, contact [email protected]

Science@Sea is provided by SMART, a marine science partnership programme that provides quality offshore training for students of marine science, technology and engineering. The programme is carried out under the Sea Change strategy with the support of the Marine Institute and the Marine Research Sub-programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013. Core partners include the National University of Ireland, Galway; University College Cork; Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology; Cork Institute of Technology; the National Maritime College; and the Marine Institute; with additional funding by the Higher Education Authority.

#MARINE SCIENCE - Apart from some of the world's largest concentrations of wave energy, the waters of Galway Bay and the west coast of Ireland are now providing something potentially even more valuable - information.

That's according to IBM's Harry Kolar writing for the blog A Smarter Planet, as he discusses the start of his company's new underwater data collection project developed in association with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Marine Institute.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the system comprises an array of noise sensing equipment such as hydrophones deployed in Galway Bay to monitor the noise levels produced by wave energy conversion devices in real time.

This array is attached to a large monitoring buoy about 2km from the southern shore, and constantly transmits the data it records to a receiving system on land.

The scheme, which was finally switched on last month, is an offshoot of the SmartBay initiative for developing and testing new marine technology to foster future commercial development in the fast-growing marine science sector. The 'Twitter buoy' deployed for the Volvo Ocean Race finale recently is another of the project's schemes.

"Initially, the system will capture and analyse the ambient noise of the ocean to establish a baseline of acoustics including natural and anthropogenic (man-made) sound sources including vessel traffic," writes Kolar.

"But the ultimate goal is to capture and analyse the sounds and vibrations of hulking wave energy conversion machines that have begun bobbing along off the coast and help determine what, if any impact the sound waves from those devices could have on marine life – but especially highly sensitive dolphin, porpoise, and whale populations."

A Smarter Planet has much more on the story HERE.

#schoolproject – A Transition Year Photo Competition, entitled Water - Our greatest Resource, has been launched that will offer transition year students in Galway and Mayo an opportunity to conduct scientific research onboard the Marine Institute's research vessel the RV Celtic Voyager, in Galway Bay on Sunday October 7th as part of GMIT's 40th anniversary celebrations.

This competition celebrates over 25 years of marine scientists training with GMIT, as well as the close association GMIT has with the Marine Institute, particularly with the use of the national research vessels used for training expeditions.

Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute welcomed the Science@Sea initiative saying, "This competition and the work of SMART (Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training) programme highlights the importance of creating opportunities towards a student's professional development and career. The programme continues to provide quality offshore training for students of marine science, technology and engineering which is highly relevant to the realisation of the economic potential of our marine resources".

On Sunday the 7th of October the RV Celtic Voyager will leave from the docks in Galway for a marine survey centred on the core disciplines of Benthic Ecology, Fisheries Biology, Marine Geophysics and Oceanography. The expedition will be led by experienced scientific personnel from the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Dr Des Foley, Head of the School of Science, and Research and Innovation at GMIT, thanked the Marine Institute for providing the RV Celtic Voyager for this special occasion. He added, "the unique access to Marine Institute vessels over the years has given our students and graduates a fantastic opportunity to train at sea and to acquire practical skills which are second-to-none. I would also like to thank our own staff, some of whom are now retired, who developed and delivered ship-based training and education programmes and to recognise such innovation as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations."

Using state of the art equipment and instrumentation students will work alongside scientists to investigate physical, chemical and biological aspects of Galway Bay and learn about potential careers in marine science and technology. Ireland is poised to realise the full potential of her ocean resource and transition year students with a strong aptitude for science, engineering and technology now have an opportunity to whet their appetite for this adventure.

The "Water - Our Greatest Resource" competition can be entered by uploading the photo entry and description to the GMIT Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GmitSchoolsLiaisonOffice.

Application are asked to submit a photograph of an aspect of Ireland's ocean that interests them with no more than 200 words of text explaining its significance. Each photo entry must include:

Your Name

Your School

A Contact Number/Email

Your Photo

A 200 word photo description

Please visit http://www.gmit.ie/slo/ for more information.

Please note: Applications should be supported by the Transition Year coordinator in your school and a letter of permission from parent or guardian.

The closing date for applications online is Friday 21st of September 2012.

#CRUISE LINERS - Galway Bay is set to welcome a visit from the 'floating campus' MV Explorer this Friday 21 August, as the Galway Independent reports.

The cruise liner, with more than 800 students, academics and crew on board, operates as part of the Semester at Sea study abroad programme which invites students from 25 universities across the Unites States to travel the world and experience its diversity.

PhD student Sarah Cosgrove of NUI Galway's Ryan Institute for marine science - who joined the cruise at its last port of call in Halifax, Nova Scotia - will talk to the visiting students about Galway, its port and the university.

At 590 feet in length, the 10-year-old vessek is too large to enter Galway Harbour so will instead drop anchor out in Galway Bay.

Its arrival follows that of two other liners, Le Diamant and the Discovery, that arrived in Galway in Friday 17 August with 1,400 passengers and crew between them. Both are set to return to the City of the Tribes next month.

The Galway Independent has much more on the story HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - It has been revealed that a new coastal radar system developed at NUI Galway was instrumental to the success of the PUMA team in the in-port races at the recent Volvo Ocean Race finale.

The radar system, which measures currents and waves throughout Galway Bay on the hour, is run by Dr Mike Hartnett’s research group in the newly launched Ryan Institute at NUI Galway.

The sophisticated system is normally used for advanced marine research, but PUMA Ocean Racing performance coach Robert Hopkins Jr contacted the researchers to see if their radar data could be used by his crew to get the edge on the CAMPER team, with which they were tied on points.

Maps of the currents in the bay over the past month were made available to PUMA and Dr Hartnett advised team on their sailing strategy for the important race.

PUMA went on to win in great style and win the series by a one-point margin. The win also marked PUMA’s first trip to the top of the podium for an in-port race in this round of the Volvo Ocean Race.

PUMA finished on the podium in nine of the 10 in-port races, collecting 45 total points to win the overall In-Port Race Series. 

Hopkins was delighted with the result. “Currents in Galway Bay were a big factor in the in-port race, where tides, wind and river outflow make it all very complicated," he said. "To prepare for the race, we looked for surface current patterns in hundreds hours of data from the NUI Galway radar, took on-the-water readings before the start, and data from Mar Mostro’s own Doppler velocity log supplied by Nortek AS. It worked and we won the race.”

The NUI Galway radar data will soon be available online to the public, hopefully helping local sailors to improve their performance.

Dr Hartnett acknowledged the assistance provided by two local businessmen in enabling this advanced technology.

“The Spiddal radar site is sending its data back to the computers at NUI Galway via the broadband service of An Crúiscín Lán, thanks to the permission of owner John Foy.

"Similarly, Liam Twomey, general manager of the National Aquarium of Ireland, Salthill, provided access to their broadband to courier the Mutton Island radar data back to NUI Galway.”

#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 Explorer.

"The mid-Atlantic is rarely surveyed for marine mammals so the results of this survey will be a large contribution to our limited knowledge of the species richness and relative abundance in this region at this time of year," said the IWDG's Conor Ryan.

"Last year, we surveyed a similar route during the winter/late spring and encountered fin whales, sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, common dolphins and pilot whales."

Students Paddy O'Dwyer and Enda McKeogh are keeping a daily blog of the trip for those interested in following them across the Atlantic which can be read HERE.