Celtic Explorer 's wide-ranging basic functions include fishery, geological and hydrographical research and environmental sampling. Since starting work in May, she has completed the third leg of the Irish National Seabed Survey, designed to map Ireland's 220 million acre underwater territory, and surveyed over 13,000km 2. From October to the end of the year, Celtic Explorer will work on the Irish Marine Institute's annual groundfish survey over the continental shelf, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and the west coast of Ireland. She will link up with the Scottish research vessel RVScotia and the French research vessel Thalassa .The unusually quiet Celtic Explorer was built to demanding fisheries, geological, hydrographical and ecological specifications covering quiet, vibration-free operation. The outcome was a Wartsila/Bakker Sliedrecht diesel-electric propulsion system utilising two DC electric motors each of 1500kW operating in tandem and developing up to 15.5 knots.

Irish officials said she was 'an excellent stable and essentially acoustically quiet survey vessel'.

Working at an average speed of 8 knots, she is equipped to gather sea floor information utilising state-of-the-art hydrographic and geophysical equipment and is accurately positioned using Fugro StarFix DGPS, which in addition to providing very accurate positions also includes a sophisticated height correction system.