Exciting new developments in Ireland’s capacity to uncover
its past and explore its future economic potential were
revealed at a seminar on underwater mapping at the Marine
Institute in Galway.
Speakers at the annual seminar of the INFOMAR (INtegrated
Mapping FOr the Sustainable development of Ireland’s MARine
Resource) programme discussed the discovery of new and historic
underwater wreck sites, the application of seabed mapping
in the selection of sites for generating wave energy, the
protection of fish spawning grounds and the planning of
fish farm sites.
The INFOMAR programme is a jointly managed programme between
the Marine Institute and the Geological Survey of Ireland
(GSI) and is funded by the Department of Communications,
Energy and Natural Resources (DCNER).
The event also featured the latest results from a range
of EC funded marine mapping initiatives and stunning underwater
footage from the recent Irish mission to the volcanic vents
of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 3,000 metres below the surface
of the sea.
Opening the seminar Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine
Institute said - “Ireland is leading the way for Europe
in marine mapping and in laying the foundations for the
sustainable management of our ocean space. Surveying the
gateways to our ports, mapping our fish spawning grounds,
finding routes for marine telecommunications cables and
selecting the best sites for ocean energy generation - all
rely on accurate seabed mapping capability, which Ireland
now possesses.”
In addition to its large scale marine mapping remit, INFOMAR’s
Value Added Programme is co-ordinating an integrated multidisciplinary
approach to the handling, processing and application of
its ever-expanding marine data set.
As a result of its latest call for research proposals,
INFOMAR received 32 submissions for studies on such subjects
as the appraisal of seabed data for tidal energy generation,
the integration of satellite and marine data for coastal
mapping and the use of new graphic animation techniques
to integrate environmental information into seabed mapping
displays.
“INFOMAR is a key mechanism to unlock the economic potential
of our ocean territory,” said Koen Verbruggen of the GSI.
“By linking industry and academia to the realisation of
our government’s objectives and requirements around sustainable
ocean development, we will strengthen Ireland’s position
on this new frontier and expand our capability to deliver
services and solutions to all marine sectors - in Ireland,
in Europe and across the world.”
As well as looking to the future, Ireland’s maritime past
was explored in a presentation by the Underwater Archaeology
Unit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
on the discovery of a probably late 16th century wreck off
Rutland Island, Co. Donegal.
The wreck, which may have been an armed merchant ship,
a pirate or naval vessel potentially associated with the
local Gaelic lordships or the Spanish Armada of 1588, is
an extremely important find that could add greatly to our
understanding of Ireland’s maritime heritage.
The INFOMAR project is supported by the National Development
Programme.
For a full selection of images from the INFOMAR project
- Click
Here
