• Transitioning Ireland’s maritime sector to carbon neutrality: Alternative fuels, infrastructure, and policy pathways

  Rigot-Müller, Patrick; Kovalenko, Alina; Sivappirakasam, Kamalakkannan; Coughlan, Joseph (Marine Institute, 2025)

  This report explores the transition of Ireland’s maritime industry towards carbon neutrality by 2050, focusing on alternative fuel adoption, socio-economic impacts, and implementation pathways. Conducted under the Marine Institute’s Research for Policy Awards, the study evaluates regulatory drivers such as the EU Green Deal, FuelEU Maritime, and IMO Net Zero Framework, alongside their implications for Irish ports and shipping companies. Using a core fleet analysis and stakeholder consultations, the research identifies high-priority corridors for Green Shipping Corridors (GSCs), assesses alternative fuels—including biofuels, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and electrofuels—and analyses port infrastructure requirements such as Onshore Power Supply (OPS). Findings highlight significant cost challenges under a business-as-usual scenario, with penalties projected to exceed €1.3 billion annually by 2050, underscoring the urgency of fuel transition strategies. The report proposes a phased roadmap: immediate OPS deployment by 2030, preparation for FuelEU revisions in 2027/28, and long-term GSC development on high-emission routes. Recommendations emphasise regulatory alignment, flexible fuel strategies, and collaborative task forces to mitigate risks and ensure Ireland’s maritime sector achieves net-zero emissions while maintaining competitiveness.
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  Reportage of an Odyssey - Marine Climate Change & Our Coastal Communities

  Marine Institute (Marine Institute, 2025)

  Illustrated stories on the importance of the ocean to communities along the Irish Atlantic coastline. In 2020, artists worked with scientists and coastal communities along the Welsh coast and the Irish east and south coasts and the outputs were captured in the “Demystify” publication (2021). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was not possible to complete this work with coastal communities on the west coast of Ireland and this part of the project had to be cancelled. In January 2023, the Marine Institute decided to finish this work and built a team to engage with coastal communities along the Irish Atlantic coast. The resultant artwork and commentary from these coastal communities are presented in this compendium “Reportage of an Odyssey”. “Reportage” is a type of visual art where the artist sketch on location to tell a specific story and it is the central pillar of this compendium. An odyssey can be defined as an eventful journey, usually involving a lot of different and exciting activities. Hence the name of this compendium.
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  Problem statement for underwater acoustic noise in ORE developments

  Chumbinho, Rogério (Marine Institute, 2024)

  This document addresses the growing concern over the impact of underwater noise on marine ecosystems, particularly in the context of offshore renewable energy developments. As offshore wind and other forms of renewable energy continue to expand, understanding and mitigating the effects of underwater noise on marine life is paramount. For this purpose, a study will be undertaken to develop two sets of guidance for monitoring and minimising possible impacts of ORE developments on the environment concerning underwater acoustic noise: ▪ Procedures and technical specifications for compliant underwater acoustic noise monitoring and reporting by Irish ORE developments, and ▪ Criteria, thresholds, and mitigation measures of underwater acoustic noise generated by ORE developments. The stakeholders involved in offshore renewable energy include government agencies, industry players, environmental organizations, research performing groups and local communities. A preliminary survey of relevant stakeholders in Ireland and abroad has been performed.
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  Guidance for Monitoring and Reporting of Underwater Noise

  Chumbinho, Rogério (Marine Institute, 2024)

  This document is the first technical deliverable of the study carry out to address the topic “Underwater Noise guidance for Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) developers”, under the Marine Institute’s Research for Policy Awards 2023. The study has been split into two sections, both approached under the ORE perspective. The first addresses the monitoring and reporting of underwater acoustic noise, the subject of this document. The second section covers mitigation measures and thresholds for underwater noise and is presented in a separate deliverable.
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  Guidance for Mitigation Measures of Underwater Noise

  Chumbinho, Rogério (Marine Institute, 2024)

  This document is the third and final deliverable of the study carried out to address the topic “Underwater Noise guidance for Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) developers”, under the Marine Institute’s Research for Policy Awards 2023. A first deliverable (document BD01923001- 01 Scope and Problem Description) defined the scope of the research. Once the problem was described, the study was split into two sections, both approached under the ORE perspective. The first addresses the monitoring and reporting of underwater acoustic noise, covered in the second deliverable, document BD01923002-01 – UN Monitoring and Reporting Guidance for ORE. The second section, which is the subject of this document, covers mitigation measures and thresholds for underwater noise.
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  Design Flexibility in ORE Development/Consenting and Planning

  Bohan, Greg; Dunne, Jeannine; Kelly, Aoife (Marine Institute, 2024-11-01)

  When developing an offshore wind farm, between initial project scoping, the submission of a planning application, and construction, there will be several iterations of project design as more detailed information is gathered on the site, as technology advances, and as engagement with the supply chain increases and suitable components and suppliers are identified. As project development progresses, however, projects will be required to prepare and submit their planning applications. Final design parameters will not be available at the time of application submission due to the long lead times between the preparation and submission of a planning application and the eventual construction of an offshore wind farm, as well as the phased nature of site investigation and design strategies employed by projects. Projects will therefore require flexibility in their consented design envelope, to account for details that are not finalised at the time of planning application submission. This report makes recommendat
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  Networking and Marine Research Communication Awards Summary Report 2022-2023

  Killian, Patricia; Kumar, Rajesh; Cunningham, Veronica (Marine Institute, 2024)

  The Marine Institute's Networking and Marine Research Communication Awards funding instrument provides support to marine researchers based in Ireland to communication and promote their research activity.
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  New Connections IV: Exploring Ireland’s International Marine Research Partnerships

  Marine Institute (Marine Institute, 2022)

  This report presents the Irish participation in European Union (EU) funded and co-funded collaborative marine-related projects from 2014–2020. For the purpose of this report, the following programmes were analysed: Horizon 2020, Interreg V, European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), Erasmus+, LIFE and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund3 (EMFF). Over the 2014–2020 period, Irish organisations (see Annex 2) participated in 314 marine-focused collaborative projects resulting in over €158 million total grant-aid for Irish organisations4.
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  Demystify - A collection of Artworks produced for the BlueFish Project

  Donnelly, Felicity (Marine Institute, 2021)

  The BLUEFISH project (2017 to 2021) focused on the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea region and set out to provide region wide adaptation strategies for the benefit of coastal communities, with a focus on fisheries and aquaculture. BLUEFISH assessed and disseminated knowledge on the risks and opportunities for commercial fish and shellfish under climate change scenarios. It has provided options that will help coastal communities adapt to climate change in the area of food security and the Blue Economy. BLUEFISH developed a series of targeted work-packages (WP) with stakeholders. WP2 focused on developing our understanding of the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea ecosystem in order to provide a framework for forward looking climate adaptation guidelines. Linking art and science to portray and explain these ecosystem goods and services and to depict plausible climate change impacts was an integral part of WP2. This compendium presents the various forms of artwork that were produced for the Marine Institute as part of the outputs from WP2. The climate change issue demands considerable public investment to reverse. This investment will only arise if the general public is supportive and this support is only likely if climate change issues are widely understood. The use of art to connect with people may be an effective way to change attitudes and win support for the societal actions required to reverse the impacts of climate change. The art forms presented in this compendium portray the importance of the ocean to the economies of coastal communities. This art also shows the potential impacts of climate change on these communities in a powerful way. The images can create anxiety about the future but the intent is to provide a deeper understanding of climate change and that the solutions presented for our coastal communities, expressed through the medium of art, will stimulate a long overdue debate and provide hope and inspiration for the future. The art outputs from WP2 also include the “Demystify animation” which can also make a valuable contribution to the debate in Ireland and in Wales. While the oceans are in a parlous state they also provide hope. If the ocean is managed more sustainably, species and ecosystems could revive, and could become better sources of sustainable food, energy, materials, livelihoods and, ultimately, planetary well-being.
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  Joined up Thinking from Joined up Data.

  Currie, D.; Gault., J. (Marine Institute, 2020)

  The primary aim of this project was to develop and implement a strategy which would integrate and enable data interrogation across all data sources used by the Marine Institute's Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services (FEAS) group.
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  Industry-Led Awards 2018, Floating Solar Hybrid Energy Project

  Howlin, E. (Marine Institute, 2020)

  SolarMarine Energy Ltd (SME) applied under the Marine Institute’s Industry-Led Awards Call 2018 and was awarded grant-aid funding to research the design of a floating solar energy (FSPV) structure and evaluate how hydrogen could be produced using power from the floating solar plant. This was essentially a ‘Power to Gas’ (PtG) project model where we designed a floating solar plant, specified the H2 electrolyser and designed the interface between the two. Our engineers’ extensive experience across the marine industry from the initial design stage to final installation enabled us to take on this challenging marine renewable energy project. We believe that a floating solar/wind/hydrogen hybrid energy plant has the potential to be a disruptive innovative technology as it leverages the technical advantages of photovoltaics and energy storage without the environmental and cost disadvantages of competitor technologies.
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  Industry-led awards 2018. Marine Institute Grant Awards in Support of the Marine Economy.

  Marine Institute (Marine Institute, 2019)

  Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology states that despite the importance of research and innovation for firms, firms under-invest in research. Therefore there is a strong case for the state to encourage firms to undertake research by providing co-investment. However, this investment must be targeted at areas of commercial opportunity that are strategically important. This is the underpinning rationale of Research Prioritisation (2018-2023), which identifies 6 Themes and 14 Priority Areas that present particular market opportunities for Ireland. The first goal of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth is “A Thriving Maritime Economy”, which focuses on the marine opportunities to achieve economic recovery with socially inclusive and sustainable growth. The Development Task Force Report developed a strategic framework identifying three interventions to drive growth across five thematic areas and create economic growth opportunities for the marine sector. In May 2018, the Marine Institute launched the Industry-Led Call, designed to provide funding for SMEs to raise the maturity levels for their research theme across these three dimensions (human capacity, infrastructure and networks & relationships). The call aims to fulfil national strategic objectives as follows: National Marine Research and Innovation Strategy 2017-2021 - Implementation of Action 8 Increase opportunities for SMEs to participate in marine research. Innovation 2020 - Action point 2.4 Optimising Enterprise RDI Supports. The funding aims to: Support research and innovation costs for the development of innovative technologies, products and services from existing or new marine-based business. Help marine companies to develop capacity, capability and their networks & relationships. Support “novel” marine research that has not previously received funding to create new knowledge or a new product, process or service or to substantially improve existing products, processes or services.
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  Beaufort Marine Award: Economic and Social Research related to Development Dynamics of the Marine Sector in Ireland (BEAU/ECON/04)

  Hynes, S.; Corless, R.; Vega, A. (Marine Institute, 2018)

  The vision for this project was the creation of a unit that would underpin the development of the marine sector in Ireland as elaborated in the Sea Change Strategy; a unit that would contribute to the EU marine socio-economic research agenda and that would strengthen marine research in general through providing a complementary socioeconomic element into scientific projects and that would be involved in the transfer of tacit knowledge to marine industry, thereby enhancing innovation and raising its competitiveness. The Beaufort work programme was comprised of three major blocks: • Marine socioeconomic research capacity building • Constructing data bases and monitoring the evolution of the marine sector • A research programme which consisted of a number of key research topics: o The impact of policy and regulations on the development of the marine industry in Ireland o The economic and social impact of the marine sectors in Ireland o Valuing ecosystem service provision from marine resources in Ireland o Economic data collection and reporting on Ireland’s ocean and coastal economies Underpinning Research The “Economic and Social Research related to Development Dynamics of the Marine Sector in Ireland” Beaufort project involved research on a variety of marine related issues associated with the economics of fisheries, marine energy, shipping and other marine sectors as well as research that valued the marine environment and that examined issues surrounding the rural development of coastal communities. In particular it involved examining the economic utility of the marine environment (e.g. transportation, recreation) and the ecological value (e.g. fisheries, aquaculture) derived from the productivity of associated ecosystems. The coastal and contiguous marine environment surrounding Ireland and the EU in general provided the geographical focus for the research. Consideration of the human dimension in the management of marine ecosystems was also a critical component of the research programme. A key element of the project involves the compilation of information in relation to economic and social patterns in Irish coastal communities as well as the economic activity taking place in the seas surrounding Ireland. The project was also very successful in terms of the first element of the Beaufort work program: Marine socioeconomic research capacity building. The project team leveraged over NDP Marine Research Sub-Programme 2007-2013 €2 million in additional funding over the life of the Award, which included funded projects such as: • Horizon 2020. Project Title: ATLAS: A Trans-Atlantic Assessment and deep-water ecosystem-based spatial management plan for Europe - In association with 24 other European research organisations. • Horizon 2020. Project Title: MERCES:Marine Ecosystem Restoration in changing European Seas - In association with 25 other European research organisation. • Norwegian Research Council Funding Programme. Project title: AquaAccept: Developing novel socio-environmental indicators and management tools for a sustainable aquaculture • Environmental Protection Agency Science, Technology, Research & Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2014 Award. Project Title: Marine Ecosystem Service Valuation A full list of additional funding secured in the area of marine socio-economic research by the project team is provided.
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  Beaufort Marine Award: Sensors and Communication System for Marine Environments (BEAU SENS 2007)

  Regan, Fiona (Marine Institute, 2018)

  EU decisions 1600/2002/EC laying down the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme and EU Directive 2008/56/EC of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) emphasise that: “The marine environment is a precious heritage that must be protected, preserved and, where practicable, restored with the ultimate aim of maintaining biodiversity and providing diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, healthy and productive.” The same directive also required that:
“Each Member State should therefore develop a marine strategy for its marine waters which, while being specific to its own waters, reflects the overall perspective of the marine region or sub-region concerned. Marine strategies should culminate in the execution of programmes of measures designed to achieve or maintain good environmental status.” In response to the EU directives to promote sustainable use of the seas and conserving marine ecosystems, the Republic of Ireland via the Department of Communications, Marine & Natural Resources launched ‘The Beaufort Marine Research Awards (BMA)’ in June 2007. This Beaufort Award ‘Sensors and Communication Systems for the Marine Environment’ aimed to develop deployable marine analytical platforms with wireless communication capability to perform autonomous sampling for extended periods of time. This multidisciplinary Beaufort team includes skillsets of chemistry, sensing, separation science, molecular biology, engineering and image analysis contributing to six research sub-programmes or workpackages. The BMA project started in 2007 at DCU. In 2010 the Marine and Environmental Sensing Technology Hub (MESTECH) was established as a result of the growing expertise in marine sensing technology and monitoring in DCU. A MESTECH website was developed (www.mestech.ie), and MESTECH actively engaged with social media technologies such as Twitter to significantly increase the international and national profile of our marine research and the BMA. The project has published >70 peer-reviewed papers. BMA members have presented >70 conferences and workshop papers or posters, >10 invited talks and several visits to other marine research laboratories have taken place. Collaborations with other marine research institutions and with industries operating within marine sector across EU, US and Asia have been formed. These national/ international collaborations facilitate technical and knowledge exchanges that are important in promoting the research capability of Ireland, and would facilitate Irish companies in accessing new technologies to contribute towards building the future economy. These collaborations are also the basis of forming international consortia for 10 future non-exchequer funding applications. In addition to the academic achievements and growing network of collaborators, the outputs of the research include novel chemical and biosensing platforms, a significant long-term dataset from a variety of sites, data analytics platforms for decision support tool development and novel materials for marine and other applications. Despite these successes, there is still much to do to achieve the ultimate goal of promoting Ireland as a leading marine research nation and more resources (both financial and human resources) are required to bring the current work forward to sustain long-term, high-quality research. The Beaufort PIs and management team have been very active in funding applications. Greater than €5 million funding was secured since the start of the BMA programme from agencies including FP7 programme, QUESTOR and national agencies such as IRCSET, SFI, EI, HEA and EPA leveraging the success of the BMA programme.
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  Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative (NutraMara)

  Troy, D. J.; Tiwari, B. K.; Hayes, M.; Ross, P.; Stanton, C.; Johnson, M.; Stengel, D.; O’Doherty, J. V.; FitzGerald, R. J.; McSorley, E.; et al. (Marine Institute, 2017)

  NutraMara – Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative: The goal was to create new research capacity and build the capabilities required to maximise the potential of Ireland’s extensive marine bioresources. By supporting a strong interdisciplinary research team, capable of exploring marine animals and plants as a sustainable source of materials for use as functional ingredients and foods, the vision for NutraMara was to position Ireland to the fore in use of marine bioresources as health beneficial ingredients.
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  Aquaplan: health management for finfish aquaculture

  Ruane, N. M.; Geoghegan, F.; Rodger, H.; Murphy, K.; O' Sullivan, C. (Marine Institue, 2015)

  The AquaPlan project brought together key stakeholders from the finfish aquaculture industry and state agencies with the aim of drafting and implementing a national strategic plan for fish health in Ireland. Many countries already have well established comprehensive strategies for managing aquatic animal health which are deemed necessary for the sustainable development of the industry. A range of deliverables were produced by the project which are all essential components of the strategic plan for fish health management.
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  Desk Study Report: National, International and EU Legal Instruments Relevant to the Development of a Marine Spatial Planning Framework in Ireland

  Slater, Anne-Michelle; Kennedy, Alison; Grist, Dr. Berna; Barnes, Jerry; Berne, Sybil (Marine Institute, 2014-11)

  This study reviewed all international, European and national law relevant for the development of a framework for marine spatial planning (MSP) for Irish waters. The report details the identification of a range of options for MSP for Ireland and the criteria for testing these options. It explains the process of refining and developing both the options and the criteria in conjunction with the Enablers Task Force (ETF) to form preliminary conclusions.
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  QUB Report: Review of Marine Spatial Planning Best Practice of Relevance to Ireland

  Flannery, Wesley (Marine Institute, 2014-11)

  This aim of this project is to contribute to the development of an appropriate Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Framework for Ireland by reporting on MSP relevant to Ireland. This report details case study selection, evaluation and presentation of case study findings. The report also focuses on outlining how the lessons learned could be transferred to the Irish context.
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  New Connections II: A Review of Irish Participation in EU Marine Research Projects 2011-2013.

  O’Reilly, Elizabeth; Molloy, Eoin; O’Sullivan, Geoffrey (Marine Institute, 2014)

  New Connections II (2011-2013) complements its predecessor New Connections (2007-2010) published in 2011, and together they record the success of the Irish marine research community in competitive EU funded programmes such as FP7, INTERREG-IV, LIFE+, COST and the Lifelong Learning Programme. Over the period 2007-2013, 111 Irish marine research groups (including SMEs) participated in 210 marine related EU funded marine projects winning grant aid of over €70m.
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  Biological Effects and Chemical Measurements in Irish Marine Waters

  Giltrap, Michelle; McHugh, Brendan; Ronan, Jenny; Wilson, James; McGovern, Evin (Marine Institute, 2014-08)

  The overall aim of this project was to increase Ireland’s capacity for the generation of integrated monitoring of biological effects and chemical measurement data and for the completion of a pilot scale assessment of the quality of the Irish marine environment at a number of selected locations.

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