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National Survey Of Sea Lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Krøyer and Caligus elongatus Nordmann) on Fish Farms in Ireland – 2024
Full text linkFarmed stocks of Atlantic salmon in Ireland are inspected on 14 occasions throughout the year to monitor sea lice levels as part of a national programme. Sea lice are a naturally occurring parasite found on marine fish, including salmonids. They are small ecto-parasitic copepod crustaceans and there are approximately 559 species. The objectives of the National Sea Lice Monitoring Programme are:
To provide an objective measurement of infestation levels on farms.
To investigate the nature of infestations.
To provide management information to drive the implementation of control and management strategies.
To facilitate further development and refinement of this strategy.
The sea lice control and management strategy has five principal components:
Separation of generations.
Annual fallowing of sites.
Early harvest of two-sea-winter fish.
Targeted treatment regimes, including synchronous treatments.
Agreed husbandry practices.Marine Institut
Explorers Marine Spatial Planning for Kids: Teachers Guide and Lesson Plans
No full textA guide to assist teachers in navigating the Explorers Marine Spatial Planning for Kids module, along with books and presentation. The guide also helps to put activities into context.Guidelines and activities for teachers to use along with Explorers Marine Spatial Planning Information Book, workbook and presentation, as well as the lesson plans.Marine Institut
Explorers Marine Spatial Planning for Kids: Marine Photos & Game Resources for Children
No full textThis activity helps children to really understang the concept of Marine Spatial Planning by using photographs and allowing them to work it out as a game.This resource provides children with photos and resources to make a game in order to help solidify their understanding of Marine Spatial Planning.Marine Institut
Performance of eDNA Filtration Methods for Monitoring Fish Diversity in a Hyper‐Tidal Estuary
No full textEnvironmental DNA (eDNA)-based monitoring has become an established and efficient method for surveying biodiversity inaquatic systems. However, there is a need to compare and standardize sampling methods across different ecosystem types, par-ticularly complex ecosystems such as estuaries, where unique challenges exist for monitoring fish populations due to fluctuatingenvironmental factors. Here, we compare species richness obtained from eDNA metabarcoding data using four different eDNAfiltration methods: three manual filtration methods with different pore sizes (0.45, 1.2, and 5 μm) and a newly established pas-sive method, the metaprobe. The study was applied across a salinity gradient in a hyper-tidal estuarine ecosystem. Overall, 44fish species were detected across the four methods used. The 0.45 μm filter recovered the highest richness (39 species), then themetaprobe method (35), followed by the 1.2 μm (34) and 5 μm (33) filters. Filter performance between salinity gradients revealedthat the 0.45 μm and the 1.2 μm methods recovered the highest species richness across all sampled zones. The 0.45 μm also hadthe most consistent detection probabilities using representative species from each zone. While the 0.45 μm method appeared tobe the optimal method, each of the methods can be considered a viable and comparable option for biomonitoring in dynamicecosystems such as estuaries and rivers. In particular, the passive metaprobe (used in a freshwater system for the first time here)performed well in comparison to the manual filtering methods despite a short deployment time. This study provides criticalinsights for optimizing fish diversity assessments using eDNA metabarcoding in estuarine ecosystems, providing a valuableframework for future monitoring efforts in similar systems worldwide.Bangor University
University of Salford
Mersey Gateway Environmental Trus
TC25021
No full textThe 2025 Celtic Sea Herring Acoustic Survey (C‑PAS; TC25021) was conducted aboard the RV Tom Crean from 9–29 October 2025 to assess the relative abundance and biomass of small pelagic fish species, including herring, sprat, and sardine, in the Celtic Sea and southern Irish Sea. The survey used systematic acoustic transects supported by targeted trawl sampling, with acoustic data collected primarily during daylight hours to align with co‑occurring regional surveys and species behaviour. Biological sampling provided information on species composition and population structure, with additional herring tissue samples collected for stock‑origin studies. Hydrographic conditions were measured using CTD casts, and zooplankton samples were collected for image‑based analysis. Apex predator surveys were conducted for seabirds throughout the survey and for marine mammals during leg two.
Celtic Sea herring biomass was estimated at 1,962 t (14.895 million individuals; CV 0.66), composed predominantly of mature fish and observed mainly offshore. Sprat biomass was estimated at 9,085 t (2,946.6 million individuals; CV 0.24), while sardine biomass was 15,374 t (720.7 million individuals; CV 0.51). No anchovy estimate was produced. Results indicate that the mature component of the Celtic Sea herring stock remains low, with no clear evidence of improved recruitment.Marine Institut
Mo threoir don chladach leabhar oibre
Full text linkThe Explorers Education Programme engages with primary school children, teachers and the education network, creating marine leaders and ocean champions in Ireland. We are the leading outreach programme in Ireland that delivers ocean literacy to primary schools, promoting awareness, knowledge and engagement of our ocean wealth and identity. The Explorers Education Programme is funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland’s state agency for marine research, technology development and innovation. The Explorers Education Programme is managed by the Camden Education Trust and we work with amazing outreach teams all around Ireland, as well as other organisations that love the ocean. Explore Your Shore! is a Citizen Science project focused on increasing our knowledge about the distribution of animals and plants that live on the seashore. Identifying species on the shore’s inter-tidal zones can provide us with an indication of the water quality and climate change. This can help highlight how we can take care of our environment and the things we can do to tackle water pollution and climate change.
Explore Your Shore! is a Citizen Science project led by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.In Ireland we are surrounded by so many different types of beaches ranging from sandy to shingle shores, as well as mudflats to rocky shore lines. This makes it extremely exciting exploring all of the amazing animals, seaweeds, plants and creatures that live there. This book was created to help you become a seashore explorer. The book can be used on the shore or in the classroom to help gather and document all of the stuff you discover on the shore.
As part of becoming a seashore explorer we have also teamed up with the National Biodiversity Data team to help them identify and locate seashore animals and seaweeds around Ireland.
The Irish version 'Mo threoir don chladach leabhar oibre' also available here.Marine Institut
Atlantic Herring in 6aS/7b, Industry Acoustic Survey Cruise Report, October 2024 to January 2025
Full text linkAn acoustic survey of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus was conducted in ICES areas 6aS/7b on selected days from October 2024 o January 2025. This was the ninth consecutive annual survey of herring in this area at this time of the year. The survey is part of an effort to describe the more dominant winter spawning herring in this area when it is geographically separated from other stocks. The survey design has been evolving since its inception in 2016. The survey area covered in the first 3 years (2016-18) included significant offshore coverage in areas 6aS and 7b. The survey in 2019 was much reduced and mostly confined to inshore bays because of poor weather. From 2020, the survey design changed compared with previous years in that only core areas (usually 5-6 areas per annum) with prior knowledge of herring distribution from the fishery were targeted for surveying. The change in survey design was largely based on results from the ICES workshop on acoustic surveys on spawning herring (WKHASS) held in 2019 (ICES 2020), and from lessons learned in the previous surveys in this area from 2016-2019. The current design features a reduced survey area compared to earlier years, but there is more intense coverage of most of the important inshore bays where the fishery takes place. The survey design objective remains the same; to describe and quantify the distribution of winter spawning herring in the 6aS/7b area when separate from other stocks. The timing of surveys in the core areas was flexible from the outset by design in 2024. Greater flexibility allowed for a targeted spatial and temporal approach which avoided the inevitable poor weather that can happen in this area during this time of the year. Using smaller vessels allowed surveys to be conducted in shallow inshore areas where herring are known to inhabit during this time of the year. The previous surveys in 2016 - 2023 are reported in O’Malley et al (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024)
Explorers Our Ocean Our Future - Marine Spatial Planning for Kids - Digital Maps, Handbook and Guide
No full textThe user-friendly digital maps can be used with the Explorers Education Project resources, enabling children to explore Marine Spatial Planning data around Ireland's ocean and seas.This handbook gives access to the Explorers Interactive Digital Maps of marine activities that take place within the National Marine Planning Fraework.Marine Institut
Establishing a Data Culture Using Frameworks to Navigate the Waves of Marine Data
No full textThe Marine Institute has worked to establish itself as a trusted source of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data through internationally recognised frameworks such as the Data Management Quality Management Framework and CoreTrustSeal. These have supported the effective handling of complex, multi stakeholder marine data central to Ireland’s Marine Spatial Planning. This paper presents a summary of these frameworks, and how they have evolved to meet ongoing needs, an analysis of how they fulfil international standards and principles, and lessons learned during their implementation.
Preserving marine data is essential to maximise the long-term value of oceanographic research and environmental monitoring. Marine datasets, ranging from biodiversity and ocean chemistry to climate trends, require extensive resources to gather. Ensuring their preservation allows future researchers to analyse historical changes, improve predictive models, and collaborate across disciplines and regions. Standardisation, secure storage, and proper documentation are vital for keeping data accessible, interpretable, and trustworthy.
The Marine Institute’s approach highlights that frameworks and certifications, while critical, are not enough. Success depends on a data culture that supports skilled and empowered people, clear communication, and continuous learning. Technical systems must be matched by human engagement and adequate resourcing. Marine data management is a collaborative discipline, requiring integration of people, technologies, and methodologies to ensure data quality and reuse. Through continued leadership support, staff engagement and a willingness to embrace change across all levels, the Marine Institute’s marine data management is well positioned for the future.This article is supported by projects funded under The Marine Knowledge Schemes which is established under Priority 4 (Strengthen Ocean Governance) of Ireland’s Operational Programme (OP) and is co-funded by the Irish Government and EMFAF 2021-2027
Illustrated stories on the importance of the ocean to communities along the Irish Atlantic coastline
No full textIllustrated stories on the importance of the ocean to communities along the Irish Atlantic coastline. In 2020, artists worked with scientists and coastal communities along the
Welsh coast and the Irish east and south coasts and the outputs were
captured in the “Demystify” publication (2021). However, due to the Covid-19
pandemic it was not possible to complete this work with coastal communities
on the west coast of Ireland and this part of the project had to be cancelled.
In January 2023, the Marine Institute decided to finish this work and built a
team to engage with coastal communities along the Irish Atlantic coast.
The resultant artwork and commentary from these coastal communities are
presented in this compendium “Reportage of an Odyssey”.
“Reportage” is a type of visual art where the artist sketch on location to tell a
specific story and it is the central pillar of this compendium. An odyssey can be
defined as an eventful journey, usually involving a lot of different and exciting
activities. Hence the name of this compendium.Marine Institut