#SeaPower - Fears over loss of access to generations-old seaweed harvesting grounds and millennia-old archaeological finds have been expressed by locals in the consultation on the new Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site, which closes next Friday 9 September.

According to The Irish Times, community activists in Spiddal have accused the State agency responsible of a "lack of transparency" over its intentions for a long-term lease over the foreshore site on the Connemara coast that's already home to the new SmartBay observatory.

Locals have also expressed concerns that the new facility would be used for power generation and not just for testing of quarter-scale prototypes, that it would cover an area some "30 times the size of Croke Park", and that the main test wind turbine would reach a height of 35 metres.

"We run a regatta in Spiddal every year of Galway hookers and it is right on the line of the regatta," said an organiser of the public meeting held in Spiddal last Monday 22 August. "There was no environment impact statement; there was no consultation with the likes of us."

The Galway Advertiser has more on the story HERE.

#SeaPower - The public consultation period for the Marine Institute’s foreshore lease application to upgrade the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site has been extended once more, until 5pm on Friday 9 September.

This latest extension follows the public meeting on Thursday 21 July in the Connemara Coast Hotel, during which some participants requested more time to allow informed submissions on the lease application.

It also comes after complaints from Galway West TD Catherine Connolly over a lack of response from Local Government Minister Simon Coveney over the issue, as the Galway Advertiser reports.

The meeting was the third public meeting held as part of the consultation on the foreshore lease application to upgrade test and demonstration facilities at the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site.

The Marine Institute applied in April to the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government for a foreshore lease for the site where prototype marine renewable energy technology can be tested at reduced scale to determine viability in an ocean environment.

All relevant documents remain on viewing until the new deadline.

Some 25 submissions have been received as of the previous deadline of 2 August, according to Galway Bay FM.

#GalwayBaySwim - Hello Deer Media was on hand to capture on video the tremendous effort on display at last weekend's Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, more than 100 swimmers crossed Galway Bay from Auginish to Salthill on Saturday 23 July for the 11th annual open sea swim in aid of Cancer Care West.

#GalwayBaySwim - More than 100 swimmers crossed from Auginish to Salthill in the 11th annual Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim at the weekend, as Galway Bay FM reports.

First across the bay on Saturday 23 July in his wetsuit was Stewart Moore with a time of 2h36m, followed by Dylan Barrett (1st male togs, 2h38m), John Burgess (2nd male wetsuit, 2h58m) and Aimee Walsh (1st female togs, 3h03m).

Full results can be found at the Galway Bay Swim website, while photos of the swimmers and winners are on Facebook.

The 13km open sea swim in aid of Cancer Care West saw tougher conditions than usual with a lot of jellyfish in the water.

"But there were no injuries and everyone thankfully finished and enjoyed the swim," said Fiona Thornton, daughter of Frances Thornton to whom the event is dedicated.

A documentary on the now annual fixture was screened in Galway earlier this year, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

#SmartBay - Galway's new SmartBay ocean observatory will share in a €11m European funding boost for ocean energy testing, as Silicon Republic reports.

The subsea observatory in Galway Bay – launched earlier this month in tandem with SeaFest and the Our Ocean Wealth Conference – is included along with projects in the UK, France and the Netherlands under the Funding Ocean Renewable Energy through Strategic European Action (FORESEA) programme.

SmartBay has been conceived to support the testing of quarter-scale prototypes of ocean energy devices alongside its ocean data collection capacity, which lowers the cost barriers for commercial research and development in the growing sector. Silicon Republic has more on the story HERE.

The news also comes after the signing of an energy co-operation declaration with nine other EU countries focusing on the development of wind and ocean energy, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

#SeaPower - The Marine Institute will host a third public information meeting on the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site next Thursday 21 July at 7:30pm in the Connemara Coast Hotel in Furbo, Co Galway.

The meeting is part of the public consultation to ensure full information is provided on the Marine Institute’s foreshore lease application to upgrade test and demonstration facilities at the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site.

The Marine Institute and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland will provide information on the background to the lease application and the scope of the proposed upgrade and address questions raised by the public ahead of the new deadline for submissions, which is Tuesday 2 August.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the application document and relevant maps, plans reports and drawings are available from the Department of the Environment's website, and are also available for viewing in Salthill and Spiddal till the deadline. Information on the consultation is also available in Irish.

#GalwayBaySwim - Organisers of the Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim are appealing for support boats to help out on the day.

As Galway Bay FM reports, this year's event in aid of Cancer Care West will take place on Saturday 23 July with 75 swimmers signed up to cross the bay from Auginish to Salthill.

And as ever, safety comes first, with race organisers seeking volunteers from the local maritime community who can spare their time and their boats – preferably 5m RIBs with a 50HP engine – for the duration of the 13km crossing.

Earlier this year a new documentary celebrating the first 10 years of the Galway Bay Swim was screened in the city, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

#SmartBay - Launching in tandem with the Our Ocean Wealth Conference in Galway today (Friday 1 July), the SmartBay Subsea Observatory will begin feeding data from the seabed at Galway Bay to businesses, researchers, scientists and policy makers.

Supported by the Marine Institute, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland, the SmartBay Subsea Observatory is considered a key element of creating an infrastructure to support the blue economy that's critical to the success of Ireland's integrated marine plan.

Technology deployed at the observatory will be used to collect valuable data from the ocean and will be a critical component of a world-class maritime infrastructure in Ireland.

Speaking at Digital Ocean today at the Meyrick Hotel, Galway SmartBay general manager John Breslin said: "The SmartBay observatory represents the Internet of Things for the marine.

"Thanks to the extensive underwater equipment we have installed, real-time data from sensors can be accessed through the web and analysed by researchers and companies trying to commercialise novel marine technologies.

"The information from the subsea observatory will accelerate developments in the marine sector and contribute to environmental monitoring, the development of ocean energy technologies, education and research as well as maritime security. It is a hugely significant addition to Ireland¹s Digital Ocean IoT infrastructure".

In 2015, the RV Celtic Explorer was used to lay a 4km cable and a frame was installed on the seabed to which sensors and monitoring equipment were attached as part of the development of the ocean observatory.

Now for the first time, the cable will supply power to the site and allow for unlimited data transfer from the site for researchers testing new and innovative marine technologies.

"The SmartBay subsea observatory will greatly enhance our understanding of the sea, the impact of weather and climate change, and how the sea reacts in various conditions and how our man-made products will react underwater," Marine Institute chief executive Peter Heffernan.

Digital Ocean: A Pathway for Developing Ireland's Blue Economy has been is organised by the Marine Institute with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the Irish Marine Development Office and SmartBay Ireland.

The event aims to promote Ireland's digital ocean opportunity highlighting how technology companies can drive new forms of innovation in the blue economy using Ireland as a test-bed with its significant marine resource, world-class expertise and infrastructure.

Tonight's edition of Seascapes on RTÉ Radio 1 and Afloat.ie will have more on the SmartBay project.

#GalwayBay - The public notice period for the Marine Institute’s foreshore lease application to upgrade the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site has been extended by two weeks to Friday 1 July 2016.

Following representations to the Foreshore Licensing Unit from locals and the Marine Institute, Planning Minister Simon Coveney decided this week (Wednesday 15 June), as an exceptional matter and in the public interest, to extend the period by which submissions from members of the public for the above application can be submitted by a further 10 working days.

The new extended closing date by which submissions must be made is now close of business on Friday 1 July. Submissions received after this date will not be taken into consideration.

Further information on the application will be made available early next week in order to address queries raised during a well attended public information meeting in Spiddal last Tuesday 14 June.

The Marine Institute applied to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (formerly the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government) for a foreshore lease for the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test site where prototype marine technology can be tested at reduced scale to determine viability in an ocean environment.

Observations are invited on the foreshore lease application which outlines plans to upgrade the existing infrastructure and facilitate the deployment of a wider range of marine renewable energy devices and novel sensor technologies at the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test site.

The Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site has been in operation since 2006, when it was established by the Marine Institute and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The purpose of the site is to allow technology innovators to test the viability of small scale prototypes in an ocean environment.

A copy of the application and all relevant maps, plans, reports and drawings are available to download from the departmental website. Copies of these documents are also available for viewing at Salthill Garda Station, Salthill, as well as Spiddal Public Library and Comhlacht Forbartha An Spidéal Teo in Spiddal until 5pm on 1 July 2016.

Should you wish to make a submission on the lease applications you should do so in writing no later than 5pm on 1 July 2016 (quoting ref: FS 006566) to the Foreshore Unit, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Newtown Road, Wexford or [email protected].

#GalwayBay - A public information evening will take place in Spiddal this Tuesday 14 June on the Marine Institute’s application to upgrade the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site.

Speakers from the Marine Institute, SmartBay Ireland and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will give presentations and be on hand for questions answers at the Park Lodge Hotel in Spiddal from 8.30pm till 10.30pm.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the evening is being held as part of the consultation process on the lease application for the marine energy prototyping site, which closes on 17 June.