Epiphytic assemblages associated with cultivated sea moss in Grenada, WI

The introduction of sea moss farming into Grenada, and in general on the east Caribbean region, has offered alternative livelihoods for coastal communities, addressing issues of poverty and alleviating over exploitation of reef resources. Information regarding growth rate of the cultivated species in Grenada is non-existent. The data recorded from other Caribbean islands indicates that […]

Integrating eDNA in Marine Spatial Planning

This project aims to integrate eDNA and new biodiversity records to the MSP monitoring of marine communities by three main workflows: i) Refine eDNA analysis pipelines introducing enhancements advancing the effectiveness of metabarcoding approaches for their trustworthy application in MSP EU guidelines for marine assessment; ii) Collect molecular data and screen biodiversity in a different […]

PSPSafe project – Paralytic shellfish poisoning events in Ireland

The PSPSafe project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and the Marine (DAFM) under the 2021 Thematic Research Call. Partners include the Martine Institute (Dave Clarke), Atlantic Technological University (Dr Luca Mirimin, Dr Fiona Kavanagh, Francesca Cucchi), and University College Dublin (Dr Francis Butler). The PSPSafe project aims at addressing key knowledge gaps […]

Molecular detection of toxigenic and harmful phytoplankton

This project is a partnership between ATU and the Marine Institute who is providing financial support by means of a CULLEN fellowship (CS/21/007) held by Ms Nicole Caputo and supervised by Dr Luca Mirimin (ATU), Dr Fiona Kavanagh (ATU) and Dave Clarke (Marine Institute). The primary aim is to validate and implement DNA-based methods for […]

Galway Bay is Calling

Galway Bay is Calling is a project funded by the Creative Ireland Programme for Climate Action (details here) and is led by Music for Galway (https://musicforgalway.ie/),  in collaboration with the Galway Atlantaquaria (https://nationalaquarium.ie/) and the Atlantic Technological University (https://www.atu.ie/). What is it about? This project is about assessing Ocean Literacy and conducting outreach and awareness activities about Galway Bay and the ocean among musicians […]

MERMEID – Marine macrofauna diversity using eDNA

This project aims to integrate novel environmental DNA (eDNA) methods with multidisciplinary data for the monitoring of megafauna at a range of infrastructures including cabled observatories as well as aboard research vessels. Objectives of this project include: (1) design and implement ad hoc eDNA protocols and pipelines to be applied in situ in a range […]

Mytilus species complex genomics

The blue mussel (Mytilus spp) is an ecologically and economically important marine bivalve that plays key roles in coastal ecosystems as well as the seafood industry. This species is found around the entire Irish coast, where it co-occurs and hybridizes with the non-indigenous Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). A better understanding of genetic structure and connectivity […]

Alternative baits for the Irish whelk fishery

Irish fisheries for whelk (Buccinum undatum) are currently in a time of flux due to increased costs of frozen bait and pressures on high value bait species such as brown crab. This collaboration between the MFRC, BIM, Nofima (Norway) and the Irish fishing industry aims to develop alternative sustainable baits for whelk. The team are […]

AquaVitae H2020

AquaVitae is a new research and innovation project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme and coordinated by Dr Philip James of Nofima in Norway. The project consortium consists of 36 partners, from 16 different countries, spread across four continents. In addition to Europe, partners are situated in countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, including Brazil, […]

Role of seaweed aquaculture in marine ecosystems

This RISE project builds up on previous field and laboratory investigations conducted in GENIALG aiming to quantify the effect of kelp aquaculture on marine ecosystems. The projects focuses on their impacts on benthic communities and their role in food webs, as biodiversity reservoirs and nursery habitats for fish. This project will determine and quantify the […]