Surveyors for the INFOMAR seabed mapping programme have reported the detection of two obstructions on the Atlantic floor some 30 nautical miles west of Co Galway.

Marine Institute research operations manager Aodán Fitzgerald told RTÉ News that these obstructions are likely shipwrecks.

“There are thousands of these in Irish waters,” he said. “However as these are fishing areas, we issued a notice to advise fishermen with towed fishing gear to avoid the areas.”

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a series of seabed mapping surveys was launched in February this year, with the RV Tom Crean recruited to carry out operations west of west of Kerry, Clare and Galway outside the 30nm limit.

The State’s latest marine research vessel found one of the objects around 80km west of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, and the other 70km west of Loop Head in Co Clare.

Coordinates for the obstructions are included in Marine Notice No 64 of 2023, attached below.

INFOMAR, a joint venture by the Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute, has launched a collection of 18 high-resolution bathymetric maps of Ireland’s coastal waters. The Blue Scale Map Series is the culmination of over a decade of work and highlights the unique and intricate landscapes lying beneath the waves. 

Each week, INFOMAR will release a new map of a different section of the Irish coastline. The latest in the series is the blue scale bathymetric map of Loop Head, County Clare on the Shannon Estuary. 

The area was first surveyed in 2009 on board the RV Celtic Voyager, with the INFOMAR team mapping a total of 162km2 of seabed along the River Shannon and west of Loop Head. Mapping continued in the region on board the RV Celtic Voyager, RV Keary, RV Geo & MV Cosantóir Bradán between 2011 – 2014, resulting in an area of over 2000km2 of previously unmapped Clare coastal waters being surveyed in high resolution.

Earlier this year, INFOMAR’s inshore team, on board the RV Galtee, continued mapping shallower waters beneath the Iconic Cliffs of Moher, Liscannor Bay and Kilstiffin Reef.

The Blue Scale Map Series offers a new and unique way not only to showcase the mapping effort to date but also to visualize and communicate complex scientific information to the wider public. As with all INFOMAR data, these high-resolution maps are available for free to download and have huge potential to communicate with local coastal communities and raise awareness of the importance of maintaining the health and integrity of our marine environment.

Ireland’s coastline is approximately 3,171km in length and boasts some of the most unique and dynamic marine environments in Europe. Since 2006, INFOMAR’s seabed mapping efforts have been instrumental in enhancing our understanding of Ireland's underwater landscape. The Blue Scale Map Series not only highlights the topography of the coast in remarkable detail but also paves the way for the future management of Ireland’s marine resource.

Download a high res version of the image here

INFOMAR has launched its Bluescale Map Series — a collection that will comprise 18 high-resolution bathymetric maps highlighting the topography of Ireland’s coastal waters in unprecedented detail.

The series is the culmination of over a decade of work and highlights the intricate landscapes that lie beneath the waves.

Developed by a dedicated team of hydrographers, data processors and cartographers, each map is carefully drawn to include the latest high-resolution INFOMAR bathymetry data.

From this week until mid December, INFOMAR will be releasing a new map of a different section of Ireland’s 3,171km coastline, which boasts some of the most unique and dynamic environments in Europe, to download for free.

The first in the series is the bluescale bathymetric map of Galway Bay. Follow the journey each week as a new map is released on the INFOMAR website and join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

In 2006, the INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource) programme was established and is currently one of the world’s largest and leading seabed mapping programmes.

Funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the programme is a joint venture by the Marine Institute and Geological Survey Ireland and aims to map Ireland’s seabed and deliver a comprehensive baseline bathymetry dataset to underpin the future management of Ireland’s marine resource.

Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) and the Marine Institute have issued their schedule of hydrographic and geophysical survey operations to be undertaken by INFOMAR in the Celtic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, western coastal areas and Irish Sea areas between March and November this year, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The INFOMAR Programme (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource) is a jointly managed seabed mapping initiative between GSI and the Marine Institute, funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Covering some 125,000 sq km of underwater territory, INFOMAR will produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical, and biological features of the seabed.

RVs Keary, Geo, Mallet, Galtee and Lir, operated by GSI, are expected to carry out survey operations in three areas: in the Atlantic Ocean, west of counties Kerry, Clare, Galway and Mayo; an offshore area northwest of Belmullet, Co Mayo and western coastal areas stretching from Galway Bay to Malin Head, Co Donegal; and the Irish Sea adjacent to the Ireland/UK border from east of Co Dublin to east of Co Wexford and in coastal areas of Co Dublin.

Meanwhile the RV Tom Crean, operated by the Marine Institute, is expected to carry out survey operations in the Celtic Sea, south of the 30-nautical-mile limit and potentially in the Atlantic Ocean west of Kerry, Clare and Galway, west of the 30nm limit.

For more details on these surveys, including scheduled dates and coordinates, see Marine Notice No 13 of 2023 attached below.

INFOMAR will conduct a programme of hydrographic and geophysical surveys in the Celtic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Irish Sea and western coastal areas between March and November this year.

Covering some 125,000sqkm of underwater territory, INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource) aims to produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed.

Along the lines of last year’s surveys, the 2022 operation will involve research vessels from Geological Survey Ireland (Keary, Geo, Lir, Galtee and Mallet) and the Marine Institute (Celtic Voyager and either the Celtic Explorer or the new RV Tom Crean) in a variety of surveys.

All vessels will display appropriate lights and markers, and will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the course of the survey.

The Marine Institute vessels will also each be towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 200 metres in length, and a moving vessel profiler cable of variable length up to a maximum of 200 metres.

Further details — including coordinates, maps and contact information — can be found in Marine Notice No 11 of 2022 which is attached below.

The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport advises that INFOMAR will undertake a hydrographic and geographic survey operation in the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean for six months from this April.

The massive operation will involve research vessels from Geological Survey Ireland (Keary, Geo, Lir, Gale and Mallet) and the Marine Institute (Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer) in a variety of surveys — along the South-West Coast from Roaringwater Bay to Kilkee, and offshore south of Mizen Head and between Kerry Head and the Aran Islands.

All vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the survey, and will display appropriate lights and markers. The RVs Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer will also be towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable up to 200m in length, and a moving vessel profiler cable of variable length up to 200m.

Full details of the surveys, including dates, maps and coordinates, can be found in Marine Notice No 10 of 2021, a PDF of which can be downloaded below.

Ireland’s internationally important seabed mapping project has been profiled in The Irish Times as it enters the final years of its mission to fully chart the nation’s marine territory.

INFOMAR, a joint initiative of the Marine Institute and Geological Survey Ireland, is the latest iteration of a more than 20-year effort to map what’s one the largest seabed territories in Europe — an achievement that would also be a world first.

Making use of a range of research vessels, including the RV Celtic Explorer, INFOMAR regularly samples and collates data from the depths using a variety of techniques like multibeam sonar.

Experts use this data for models that are critical for the planning of offshore infrastructure such as undersea cables and wind farms — as well as the study of wildlife habitats and development in coastal communities.

And the project has even inspired a new Master’s degree course that aims to produce the next generation of marine mapping specialists.

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.

Marine scientists from Ireland will join an international group of ocean experts in a project to map and assess the Atlantic Ocean’s current and future risks from climate change, natural hazards and human activities.

Mission Atlantic brings the Marine Institute together with scientists from Europe, Brazil, South Africa, Canada and the USA to develop the first Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) at the scale of the Atlantic basin.

Using high-resolution ocean models; data collected with marine robots and acoustic sensors; artificial neural networks; risk assessment methods; and advanced statistical analysis, the international partnership will assess the pressures imposed on the Atlantic’s marine ecosystems — especially those related to plankton and fish distribution — and identify the parts most at risk.

The Marine Institute says this “unique” project — funded by a €11.5 million grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme — will engage scientists, managers of marine resources and other stakeholders in balancing the need for environmental protection with sustainable development.

‘Mission Atlantic will contribute to a better and more sustainable future for life on Earth’

“In an era of rapid transformations affecting our societies and our lives, we are asked to provide the scientific knowledge necessary to face future challenges and to guarantee a sustainable future for the next generations,” says project co-ordinator Patrizio Mariani.

“By studying the complex Atlantic Ocean ecosystems, Mission Atlantic will contribute to a better and more sustainable future for life on Earth.”

The Marine Institute is leading the IEA approach for each of the seven case study areas throughout the Atlantic. In the Celtic Sea, this will be underpinned by regional data from INFOMAR, Ireland’s ongoing seabed mapping programme.

Marine Institite chief executive Dr Paul Connolly said: “The comprehensive mapping of the depth, character and benthic habitat of our seabed is critical to assess change, manage resources and risks, and to predict understand and realise the potential of our marine resource.”

Mission Atlantic will also focus on improving education, professional development opportunities and maritime policy in countries that border the Atlantic Ocean, north and south.

More information on the project will be available soon at www.missionatlantic.eu

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 post-graduate module teaches students about the science of seabed mapping by providing a combination of class-based learning and practical offshore survey experience.

The course outlines the importance and impact of seabed mapping, and features a range of topics including how seabed data are collected and processed to produce high resolution maps of seafloor depth, type and habitat.

Lectures illustrate how scientists measure and describe the seafloor in incredible detail, using state of the art acoustic sonar, positioning, and optical instrumentation.

The use of satellite imagery analysis is explained in studying coastal seabed depth and shape, with practical examples utilising images of Dublin Bay acquired on the Sentinel-2 satellite’s sensor almost 800km above the Earth’s surface.

The module includes a two-day offshore practical where students are given an opportunity to apply the theoretical learning aboard the RV Celtic Voyager.

This is one of six survey platforms deployed by INFOMAR during seabed mapping operations, tasked with operating along the continental shelf and coastal waters.

Students get exposure to the dry and wet/chemical laboratories, as well as to operating an array of scientific equipment including the multibeam sonars and associated oceanographic instrumentation.

Participants boarded the RV Celtic Voyager in the Port of Cork and departed to the outer reaches of Cork Harbour where the offshore element of the module was conducted successfully on 15 and 16 February.

Training activities undertaken onboard included a marine mammal observation deck watch, survey computers and software use, benthic ecology, sedimentology classification, sound velocity probe deployment, multibeam echosounder, and sub-bottom profiler data gathering.

‘This module … demonstrates the welcome influence of Irish seabed mapping expertise on new sectors of society’

After exposure to the scientific equipment, workflows and data processing onboard, the students were tasked with the design, planning and implementation of a real-life survey scenario. This enabled them to apply their newly acquired seabed mapping knowledge as a team of scientists would in real-world conditions.

Overall the INFOMAR MSc module gave Maynooth students an overview of remote sensing techniques, helping them to understand bathymetric data products, to recognise data limitations, and to identify key systems and practices used in the field of seafloor surveying.

Students also developed a technical grounding in mapping at different resolutions, and the importance of instrumentation calibration, quality control and processing of bathymetry datasets, before product delivery to end users.

In addition, students learned how to source marine data online from INFOMAR’s Interactive Web Data Delivery System and online Webviewers, and via web-based portals operated by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and the Copernicus Marine Environment Service.

Importantly, says the Marine Institute, the module was taught within the context of end users, stakeholders and the policy framework underpinning ocean science and ocean literacy, highlighting both the relevance and importance of mapping the Earth’s seafloor.

Participants benefited from the fact that the course was delivered directly by the INFOMAR team, who have extensive experience of offshore surveying, and were able to share their own experiences and varied employment backgrounds with the students.

Sean Cullen, of the Geological Survey Ireland and INFOMAR joint programme manager, said: “I’m pleased to see the very positive feedback on the course overall both from the students and the tutors.

“This module, newly developed by the INFOMAR team, with steering from the Department of Geography at Maynooth, demonstrates the welcome influence of Irish seabed mapping expertise on new sectors of society and is timely addition to the INFOMAR education initiative as we face into the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

“The collaboration is an encouraging sign that seabed science belongs in the space of third level education, and sets to further promote Ireland as leaders in marine science and of ocean literacy on an international stage.”

Thomas Furey, INFOMAR joint programme manager from the Marine Institute, added: “It is critical that we create a legacy to build on Ireland’s world leading role in seabed mapping, and through launching our third level delivery of INFOMAR specific training, we are contributing to capacity build, marine economy growth, and Ireland’s marine plan, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth.”

Hydrographic and geophysical survey operations will be undertaken by INFOMAR in the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean between April and October this year, according to a recent Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Covering some 125,000 sq km of underwater territory, INFOMAR will produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed.

Both Marine Institute vessels, the RV Celtic Voyager (callsign EIQN) and RV Celtic Explorer (callsign EIGB), will be employed for these survey operations, towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 200m in length and a Moving Vessel Profiler cable of variable length up to a maximum of 200m.

Geological Survey Ireland will also operate four vessels, the RV Keary (callsign EI-GO-9), RV Geo (callsign EI-DK-6), RV Mallet (callsign EI-SN-9) and RV Lir (call sign EI-HI-2).

All vessels will display appropriate lights and markers and will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the course of the survey.

Further details, including co-ordinates of the survey areas, are included in Marine Notice No 11 of 2020, a PDF of which is available to download below.