This report provides the main results and findings of the seventeenth annual underwater television on the Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne head Nephrops grounds, ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 17. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, fishing, CTD and other ecosystem data. In 2018 a total of 43 UWTV stations were successfully completed, 33 on the Aran Grounds, 5 on Galway Bay and 5 on Slyne Head patches. The mean burrow density observed in 2018, adjusted for edge effect, was medium at 0.40 burrows/m². The final krigged burrow abundance estimate for the Aran Grounds was 488 million burrows with a CV (relative standard error) of 3%. The final abundance estimate for Galway Bay and Slyne Head was 33 million in both grounds with CVs of 17% and 12% respectively. The total abundance estimates have fluctuated considerably over the time series. The 2018 combined abundance estimate was a 37% increase compared to in 2017 and at 554 million burrows and is above the MSY Btrigger reference point (540 million burrows). Using the 2018 abundance estimate and updated stock data implies catch of 1002 tonnes and landings of 916 tonnes in 2019 when the MSY approach is applied (assuming that discard rates and fishery selection patterns do not change from the average of 2015–2017). Virgularia mirabilis was the only sea-pen species observed on the UWTV footage. Trawl marks were present at 9% of the Aran stations surveyed.

The SmartBay NIAP fund was made available in 2012 through Dublin City University over a two year period to enable researchers to access the SmartBay Ireland National Test and Demonstration Facility in Galway Bay. Research proposals were invited for funding under a number of activity types that are in line with the objectives of the SmartBay PRTLI Cycle 5 programme. This fund provided small awards (typically €2-25K) to research teams through a national competitive process, which was open to all higher education institutions on the island of Ireland. There were both open and biannual calls. The SmartBay NIAP fund was established to enable researchers in academia and industry to access the SmartBay Ireland national test and demonstration infrastructure. Proposals to access the infrastructure were brief and required information on the researcher(s), a description of the proposed research and its potential impact to the research team arising from the access to SmartBay Ireland.

Marine biotechnology is a rapidly growing area that is recognised, by policy makers and the enterprise sector, as offering significant potential to develop market opportunities for new products and processes by enabling greater utilisation of marine biological resources. Current research funding activity, supporting efforts to create a sustainable bioeconomy, is likely to lead to a growth in marine biotechnology research and commercial activities. Irish and international financial support for this research is aimed at as yet largely unexplored and underexploited marine resources for use as food, functional foods and nutraceuticals; cosmetics and cosmeceuticals; human and animal health – including pharmaceuticals, biocompatible materials and medical devices; materials technology; environmental bioremediation; and marine model organisms, including the use of marine derived materials in bioprocessing. Research within these areas has resulted in an array of new products and processes which offer benefits to society and support economic growth. The Marine Institute established a Task Force to advise on the steps required to strengthen Ireland’s capability to use marine biotechnology to exploit the value of its extensive marine bioresources. The Task Force, comprising academic and industry members, considered the various national strategies and plans for science, technology, research and economic development, and identified market opportunity areas and Irish marine biotechnology research capabilities. In supporting the work of the Task Force, the Marine Institute completed a number of information-gathering exercises to fill various knowledge gaps identified by the Task Force. Following the preparation of a draft report, the Task Force, with the support of the Marine Institute, held a workshop attended by researchers and companies. This final report of the Task Force takes account of feedback from this workshop in developing its recommendations.

The aim of the lesson plan is for the children to learn how to use key media questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? They will work in groups to write a script where they can play different characters aboard the research vessel, allowing them to work collaboratively and use their imaginations.

The lesson provides students with an opportunity to learn about people and places in Ireland. With a focus on marine science and seismology, the students will learn about the type of work marine scientists and seismologists are involved with and the environments they work in. This lesson plan can be adapted to follow and study the life of any scientist on a scientific survey. Students can also learn about the people that work on the research vessel, the research vessel RV Celtic Explorer.

The Creature Features and Chemosynthesis Presentation is a simple PowerPoint presentation about life in the hydrothermal vent ecosystem. The presentation introduces students to some of the unique creatures that live there and how the vents provide energy for them to survive through the process of chemosynthesis.

The lesson enables students to imagine, design and construct their own film set using recycled materials and papier-mache that is based on the Moytirra hydrothermal vent field. The students will experience working in groups and through a creative process develop skills intrinsic to working scientifically.

The lesson enables students to respond to scientific footage about hydrothermal vents and visually interpret their findings through a two-part printmaking process. The students will experiment with colour, line, shape and mark-making techniques to compose a print.

The lesson introduces students to how stories are developed for film. Students will draft a storyboard for a film imagining they are a team of marine scientists embarking on their own underwater voyage of discovery. They will interpret marine and scientific language and through a combination of the real and the imaginary, develop their own storyboard and film.

The lesson allows students to explore the effects of solids in hot and cold liquid by conducting a range of experiments mixing different materials in water solutions.