EMFF Coastal Sediments Project – Achill Bay Survey Report

Abstract

There is an ongoing requirement for high resolution substrate maps that accurately depict the sediment properties of the seabed and improve our knowledge of the marine environment. This Coastal Sediment Sampling Project, funded by the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF), will conduct intense sediment sampling and environmental data collection (including video) surveys on areas of interest in Ireland’s coastal waters to develop high resolution sediment maps, create habitat maps and support ancillary EMFF projects coordinated by the Marine Institute. Achill Bay was selected as the first leg of this survey programme as no multibeam data exists within the inner bay and a significant number of sediment samples were required to create accurate seabed classification charts and habitat maps. A strategic sampling campaign will target and retrieve sediment samples for Particle Size Analysis and increase the accuracy of key derived products such as substrate and habitat maps which are key to supporting Ireland’s Marine Spatial Plan, and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, identified as priority action(s) of the EMFF Operational Programme. The primary aim of this survey was to conduct a ground-truthing sampling survey of Achill Bay and acquire sediment samples from predefined locations. In addition, video ground-truthing will be conducted using a GoPro camera and frame for manual deployment