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Newslette
INFOMAR ANNUAL SEMINAR 2015
Save the Date - Tuesday 3rd November
The Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine
Institute are delighted to announce the 2015 Annual
INFOMAR Seminar.
The one day event will take place in a Dublin Hotel
on November 3rd.
3 rd November
(TBC)
Dublin Hotel
The seminar will include an update on Ireland’s
national seabed mapping programme including
survey operations and coverage, future plans,
associated research along with poster sessions.
Details of logistics and the programme agenda will
be available soon. Updates on www.infomar.ie
Vessels:-
(In-shore) RV GEO
(In-shore) RV TONN
(Near-shore) RV Keary
(Support Vessel) RV Cosantóir Bradán
SURVEYS UNDERTAKEN
Bannow Bay (presently)
Kilmore Quay and Approaches (presently)
Youghal (June – July)
Dungarvan (June – July)
Drogheda (Aug – Sept)
Carlingford (Aug – Sept)
Foyle (Oct - Nov)
To be completed this season
Wexford Harbour, if time permits.
The Survey will move onto Carlingford
via Drogheda when the southern Bays are
Completed.

Survey Summary
RV TONN Bannow Bay & Kilmore
RV KEARY outer Bannow
All vessels coverage overview as of June 5 th 2015
TON15_01 Bannow Bay Inner (in-shore survey)
GEO15_01 Bannow Bay Inner (in-shore survey)
KRY15_01 Bannow Bay Outer (in-shore survey)
CB15_01 Support Vessel (Kilmore Quay)
TON=RV TONN, GEO= RV GEO, CB=RV Cosantóir Bradán, KRY=RV Keary

News & Images
A motley crew ready for the survey season
OTHER NEWS
The second annual ‘Our Ocean Wealth
Conference’ will take place in NMCI, Cork
the 10 th & 11th of July with the aim to
review the progress of Ireland’s first
Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland,
Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth. (Pics
above and below from 2014 event)
Celine and Niall had a baby girl!!!!!! Ciara Finn
was born at 12:57. A healthy 9lbs 3oz!! On the
24 th April 2015.
The Geological Survey of Ireland and the
INFOMAR project team, were completely
supportive of this non-marine event.
Archie Donovan mans the INFOMAR
travelling display tent. This year it is hoped
to participate in the Maritime Festival in
Wexford, which will take place between
June 13 th and 15 th , 2015. This follows on
from last year’s successful attendance at
the Drogheda maritime festival.
The Geological Survey of Ireland (DCENR) is pleased to announce that two postdoctoral
researchers have been awarded funding within the Irish Research
Council's (IRC) Enterprise Partnership Scheme. The two positions are joint collaborations
between the GSI and Irish Universities (DCU & TCD). The fellowships, which are all for
duration of two years, will undertake high level research in gas hydrates and
geomorphological features within Irish marine environment.

News & Images
On 26th March Minister of State McHugh formally
commissioned the new survey vessel, naming her
the RV TONN at the Poolbeg Yacht, Boat Club &
Marina. The RV Tonn, is named appropriately after
the Irish for wave, as it both operates on the waves
and uses sound waves to investigate the depth and
nature of the seabed.
The surveys are carried out using a range
of platforms, including the Marine Institute’s
RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager,
GSI inshore launches RV Keary, Cosantóir
Bradán and RV Geo and Airborne LIDAR.
These are now to be joined by the RV Tonn.
The programme uses ship-mounted acoustic
multibeam sonar and geophysical technology
to provide vital information on water depth for
safe shipping and marine resource management,
as well as analyse the properties of the seabed
for information that can guide fishing, ocean
renewable development, environmental
protection and conservation, and marine
archaeology.
It is a new state of the art vessel, only 7.9 metres
in length, but purpose built to carry out very
shallow survey work. It was built by Cheetah
Marine over in the Isle of Wight after an open
tender process.

Jobs & Information
Please note that the Request For Tender (RFT) for
recruitment of up to 5 contract graduate geologists for 2015 -
2016 will be live on gsi.ie at the start of July, details attached.
In summary there are up to 5 contracts available, for up to
one year duration, at a fixed rate of €120 per day
Positions are in the following areas:
GSI Graduate Geologists
1. Groundwater Programme
2. Landslide Project
3. Geological Heritage Programme
4. Land Mapping Unit
INFOMAR Project Graduate Geologists
5. INFOMAR Programme
While the standard tender template document is rather lengthy (and most clauses do not
apply), application is straightforward.
In order to Qualify for consideration, candidates must:
Hold or are due to be conferred with an Honours degree (2.2 or higher) in Geology,
Physical Geography, Earth Science or other relevant discipline
Hold a full driving licence, or will hold one by commencement of any contract
Applications will be by way of CV (maximum 3 pages) and cover letter (maximum
two pages) outlining the candidates’ suitability for the work area they are applying
for (see 3.3.2 of RFT).
These must be sent via email to tenders@gsi.ie by 12 noon on 10 th of August 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON INFOMAR & THE GSI PLEASE CONTACT
http://www.infomar.ie/news/
http://gsi.ie/Newsletters/

TransAtlantic Cooperation
Irish marine research vessel RV Celtic Explorer has been deployed from Newfoundland to map
the seafloor between Canada and Ireland under a new European, Canadian and US research
alliance.
Three of the INFOMAR Project team
will operate the marine mapping scientific
equipment throughout the Explorer’s 10 day
Atlantic research endeavour.
Scientists from Canada’s Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
will work with counterparts from Ireland’s national seabed mapping programme at the Marine
Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Portuguese Institute
for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) are also involved in the programme, which will use multi-beam
echo sounders on-board the vessel to collect ocean mapping data.

European Cooperation
Pictured above is the INFOMAR seabed substrate classification data submission (current
version) to the WP3 Geology theme for 2015 and below an image of its integration into the
EMODnet project.
The European Marine Data and Observation Network (EMODnet) consists of more
than 100 organisations assembling marine data, products and metadata to make
these fragmented resources more available to public and private users relying on
quality-assured, standardised and harmonised marine data which are interoperable
and free of restrictions on use. EMODnet is currently in its second development phase
with the target to be fully deployed by 2020.
EU seas why bother:- http://www.emodnet.eu/videocode

Outreach & Images
As part of SeaFest 2015, along with the
INFOMAR exhibition stand presence at
the event, INFOMAR, with their partners
at the Underwater Archaeology Unit,
are proposing to Exhibit a commemoration
3D model of the wreck of the RMS Lusitania,
to mark its sinking 100 years ago.
Celebrate Ireland’s incredible ocean wealth at
SeaFest 2015, which takes place in Ringaskiddy
on Friday and Saturday, 10th and 11th July 2015.
This maritime festival showcases Ireland’s
abundant maritime resources over two days in
Cork Harbour. The programme of events is
extensive and includes a seafood fair, carnival
games and seafaring family fun, Irish Naval
Service manoeuvres, a sail-by of leisure craft and
yachts, lectures and exhibits on marine life,
and all manner of festival entertainment for
every age group. View Festival Programme.
As part of SeaFest 2015 the annual
Our Ocean Wealth Conference takes place on
10 July 2015, and will focus on the commercial
opportunities presented by Ireland’s ocean
wealth and the enormous potential of our ‘blue
economy’. Each year, this conference attracts
several hundred stakeholders including marine
researchers, investors, entrepreneurs,
maritime-related startups, businesses and
organisations, from all over Ireland and from
around the world, to hear from marine industry
experts. The event also provides an opportunity
to network with industry peers and develop
opportunities for collaboration
- See more at: http://www.ouroceanwealth.ie/seafest#sthash.RLmMVCe2.dpuf

Outreach & Images
As part of the INFOMAR Project 2015
outreach programme, INFOMAR staff
hosted a visit to the vessels , pre-survey
season, for DCENR staff.
INFOMAR staff hosted a visit to Dun
Laoghaire to see the vessels , pre-survey
season, for GSI staff.
INFOMAR staff play their part in
representing the Geological Survey of
Ireland and the Marine Institute at the
BT Young Scientist Exhibition 2015 at the
RDS Dublin.

HRH Prince Charles visit
Last May 21th, HRH Prince Charles visited the Marine Institute at their offices in Oranmore,
County Galway.
During his visit, Prince Charles visited the INFOMAR presentation stand where he was
presented with a copy of the UAU/GSI’s book Warships, U-Boats & Liners - A Guide to
Shipwrecks Mapped in Irish Waters by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D.
It is estimated that up to 15,000 shipwrecks may lie in Ireland’s designated waters,
shipwrecks that tell of cruel wars, thwarted ambitions, political machinations and sunken
treasures. It is a fascinating hidden history, filled with the best and worst features of human
life and existence. Since the commencement of the INSS in 1999 and its successor
INFOMAR which began in 2006, a comprehensive database of the shipwrecks that have
been mapped has been collated. It is this dataset that has provided in-depth information
of known and unknown shipwrecks in Irish waters and has led to collaborative work with
the Underwater Archaeology Unit (National Monuments Service, Department of Arts,
Heritage and the Gaeltacht).
http://www.gsi.ie/gsishop/Product.aspx?Productid=366&Catid=3%20

Notification of SURVEY OPERATIONS 2015
INFOMAR – Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable
Development of Ireland’s Marine Resources
Between March and October 2015, INFOMAR, the national
seabed mapping programme, will be engaging in routine
hydrographic survey* activities in Carlingford Lough, Boyne
Estuary, Bannow Bay, Dungarvan, Youghal, Lough Foyle and
Wexford**. These surveys will be carried out using high
frequency multibeam echo-sounders and all data acquired
will underpin improvements to future navigation charts and
environmental assessments, and will be freely and publicly
available.
Further information about this survey
and all INFOMAR survey’s can be found
at www.infomar.ie
Or contact
Linda Grealish linda.grealish@marine.ie
+353 91 387200
* Please be advised that vessels will engage in “lawn-mower” style survey activity, with repeat passes.
Inshore fishing gear will be avoided where visible. No responsibility or liability will be accepted for gear
damaged which is not clearly marked, or which is submerged.
** Operations may be carried out in this area subject to timing and weather