Marine Institute Open Access Repository

Welcome to the Marine Institute Open Access Repository

The Marine Institute Open Access Repository facilitates full text access to the publications of the Marine Institute in accordance with copyright permissions. The aim of the Repository is to collect, preserve and provide open access to the publications of the Marine Institute, including the research publications supported by National and European funded marine research programmes.

Featured Items

Thumbnail Image

The Stock Book 2025: Annual Review of Fish Stocks in 2025 with Management Advice for 2026

Marine Institute

The Stock Book is the principal annual publication of the Marine Institute's Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services (FEAS). Its purpose is to provide the latest impartial scientific advice on the commercially exploited fish stocks of interest to Ireland. The Stock Book is used by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine - (DAFM) at the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) negotiations with the EU in December and throughout the year at fisheries management meetings.

2025-12

Thumbnail Image

Annual Report 2024/Tuarascáil Bhliantúil 2024 (English and Irish/Bilingual versions)

Marine Institute

The Marine Institute is the national agency for marine research, technology, development and innovation. It seeks to assess and realise the economic potential of Ireland’s marine resource, promote sustainable development of marine industry through strategic funding programmes and essential scientific services, as well as safeguard Ireland’s natural marine resource through research and environmental monitoring. Ireland has a marine area of approximately 880,000 km2 under the sea, which is over 10 times its land area, representing an enormous seabed and marine resource. The Marine Institute promotes the sustainable development of this vast resource through research, the application of new technologies and by providing credible science-based advice to industry, the Government and the EU.

2025

Thumbnail Image

Ireland’s Ocean Economy, 2025

Flynn, Niall; Frost, Deirdre; O'Leary, Jenny; Mehorta, Sanjana; Tran, Tuyen; Hynes, Stephen

Ireland’s Ocean Economy Report, 2025, provides an update on Ireland’s ocean economy across three main economic indicators: turnover, gross value added (GVA) and employment. It provides an analysis of trends over a five-year period and a commentary on rates of change over a ten-year timeframe. The report is accompanied by an online dashboard, where data trends can be accessed. The 2025 Ocean Economy Report is the ninth in the ocean economy series. Ireland’s ocean economy statistics are based on nominal values.

2025-12

Recent Submissions

  • ItemOpen Access
    National Marine Research & Innovation Strategy 2017-2021
    (Marine Institute, 2017) Marine Institute
    This document sets out Ireland’s Marine Research and Innovation Strategy for the period 2017 to 2021. It builds on the significant progress made during the implementation of Ireland’s previous Marine Research, Knowledge and Innovation Strategy – Sea Change 2007-2013, which added new research capacity in priority areas and highlighted the potential of marine-related research to contribute to wider economic growth. Significant progress has been made since 2007, with marine research moving from what was considered by some as being a niche field to being a theme that pervades much of the fabric of Irish research effort.
  • ItemOpen Access
    National Survey of Sea Lice (Lepeophtheirus Salmonis Krøyer and Caligus Elongatus Nordmann) on Fish Farms in Ireland – 2025
    (Marine Institute, 2026-03) O 'Donohoe, Pauline; D'Arcy, Jack; Kelly, Suzanne; McDermott, Tom; Ruane, Neil
    This report provides an overview of the sea lice data collected from Ireland’s National Sea Lice Monitoring Programme in 2025. A total of 192 sea lice inspections were carried out all 22 active Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production sites. Ninety-eight percent of sea lice inspections were below the Treatment Trigger Levels (TTL). There were 126 inspections on salmon smolt sites, 99% of which were below the TTL and 66 inspections of one-sea-winter salmon sites; 95% were below the TTL. Mechanical and biological methods of control of sea lice continue to have a positive effect on sea lice management in Ireland. In addition to monitoring, the Marine Institute also launched a Power BI dashboard in 2025 which displays monthly salmon lice counts for each salmon farm with historical data for each stock of fish since they were put to sea. The dashboard, which is publicly available, aims to provide more transparency for the data collected by the Marine Institute. Elevated salmon lice levels continue to be the exception rather than the rule and the proactive management measures used are proving to be effective in continuing the overall decline in sea lice abundance on all marine Atlantic salmon farms in Ireland over the past 30 years.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Explorers 2025 Ocean Literacy & Engagement Report - See Our Stats & Quotes
    (Marine Institute, 2026) Dromgool-Regan, Cushla
    Explorers 2025 Ocean Literacy & Engagement Report - See Our Stats & Quotes: Showing increases in ocean literacy and engagement amongst teachers and children in Irreland.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Mapping the distribution of feral Pacific oysters, Magallana gigas, in Ireland 2024-2025
    (Marine Institute, 2025-11) Gittenberger, Adriaan; Rensing, Marjolein; Keeler Pérez, Helena; Coppis, Stan
    This study presents a national survey of the distribution of feral Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) along the coastline of the Republic of Ireland during 2024–2025, building on earlier surveys undertaken in 2009 and 2012–2013. A total of 171 intertidal sites were assessed, including both previously surveyed locations and additional sheltered bays and estuaries. Results show that feral Pacific oysters are now widely established around the Irish coast, with increasing abundance and a notable concentration along the western seaboard. While the presence of oyster farms was associated with a higher likelihood of occurrence, the distribution of feral populations appears to be more strongly influenced by environmental conditions, natural dispersal processes, and the availability of suitable settlement habitats. Oysters were most commonly recorded on hard substrates such as boulders and artificial structures and were observed to form localised clusters, indicating the presence of established source populations. Comparison with earlier surveys demonstrates a clear expansion in both spatial distribution and population density over time, although localised declines were observed in some areas. These findings provide an updated baseline for understanding the spread of M. gigas in Ireland and support evidence-based decision-making in relation to aquaculture licensing, Natura assessments, and the management of invasive marine species.
  • ItemOpen Access
    International Blue Whiting Spawning Stock Survey (IBWSS) Spring 2026
    (Marine Institute, 2026-05) Wageningen Marine Research; Institute of Marine Research; Faroe Marine Research Institute; Marine Institute; Danish Institute for Fisheries Research; Spanish Institute of Oceanography; Thünen Institute; Marine Directorate
    The International Blue Whiting Spawning Stock Survey (IBWSS) Spring 2026 was carried out from March to April 2026 to assess the abundance, biomass, distribution, and population structure of Northeast Atlantic blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou). The survey was coordinated through the ICES Working Group on International Pelagic Surveys (WGIPS) and involved five research vessels from Ireland, the Faroe Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Acoustic data were collected using calibrated scientific echosounders and analysed using the StoX software framework, supported by biological sampling from midwater trawl catches. Despite persistent poor weather conditions that reduced survey efficiency and biological sampling effort, good spatial and temporal coverage of the core spawning areas along the continental shelf break was achieved. The estimated total stock biomass in 2026 was 3.0 million tonnes, representing a 32% increase compared with 2025, while total stock numbers increased by 34%. The stock was dominated by 2–5‑year‑old fish, and spawning stock biomass was estimated at 2.9 million tonnes. Distribution patterns were consistent with recent years, with the bulk of the stock concentrated in the Rockall Trough and adjacent shelf‑edge areas. The results are considered robust and contribute to the long‑term IBWSS time series supporting international stock assessment and fisheries management advice.
Show more

Communities in Marine OAR

Select a community to browse its collections.