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Completion of Seven-year Irish Deep-water Survey
01 Dec 2002
The Geological Survey of Ireland in Dublin reports completion of the deep-water section of its seven-year Euro 32m National Seabed Survey project aimed at mapping an offshore area ten times larger than Ireland itself.
The government-funded project - which on completion will be the largest marine survey ever undertaken anywhere in the world - is designed to provide maps and information of major national importance, both commercially and scientifically. Until now, much of the Irish seabed has remained largely unmapped.
Conclusion of the deep-water operations follows three-year investigations at depths down to 4,500m carried out by a consortium of multi-national organisations headed by Global Ocean Technologies (Gotech) of Waterford. In all, six ships and one aircraft have thus far carried out survey operations.
In addition to the Irish Marine Institute's Celtic Voyager, among other vessels deployed have been the Russian research ships, S/V Professor Logachev and Akademik Boris Petrov, both of which obtained video footage of deepwater corals off the Irish west coast as well as hauling up grab samples from the seabed.
Other aspects of the project's first stage have involved an airborne laser pilot study over Clew Bay off Co Mayo completed by the Australian Tenix LADS company. Meanwhile, says the GSI, a book detailing the origins, achievements and benefits of the National Seabed Survey will be published in autumn of next year.
