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.