Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Seán Power, T.D. today launched www.infomar.ie a new website which will provide information on the nature of the seabed, physical habitats and water depths which has been gathered through INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource), Ireland’s national marine mapping programme.
Speaking on board the Celtic Explorer, one of the vessels involved in the programme, Minister Power said, ‘With over 220million acres of our national territory lying beneath the sea, many of the potential benefits from this resource are as yet unrealised. The INFOMAR project is now discovering those resources and making information on them available online. This website will have benefits for a wide spectrum of activities from navigation, safety at sea, fisheries management and seabed resource management. As Minister with responsibility for both the Information Society and Natural Resources, I am delighted to see the INFOMAR project placing information delivery at the heart of its operations.’
Minister Power concluded by paying tribute to all of those involved in the project which is jointly managed by the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute. ‘INFOMAR along with its predecessor, the Irish National Seabed Survey, constitutes the largest civilian marine mapping programme worldwide and they have truly made Ireland a leader in this field of endeavour. There is a significant level of coordination required by both organisations, scientists, and the crews of the ships, boats and planes to bring this project to fruition and I heartily congratulate all involved.’
The INFOMAR programme has just concluded operations in Donegal and Sligo Bays on board the Marine Institute vessel the RV Celtic Voyager. In addition aerial LiDAR surveys have been completed in recent weeks in parts Galway and Tralee Bays together with portions of Lough Foyle. Speaking at the launch of the INFOMAR website John Evans, joint programme manager of the INFOMAR programme from the Marine Institute, said “Together with our colleagues in the Geological Survey we are delighted with the progress we have made to date in mapping our in-shore area. These bays are extremely challenging to survey and we encourage all to view the data via the www.infomar.ie website”.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
John Joyce, Communications Manager, Marine Institute
Telephone: 087 2250871
Email: John.joyce@marine.ie
or
DCENR Press office,
Telephone: 01 6782441
Email: press.office@dcenr.gov.ie
Notes to Editor:
INFOMAR is an ambitious joint venture between the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute to map Ireland’s most productive and commercially valuable inshore waters. Covering some 125,000 square kilometres of underwater territory, INFOMAR will produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed.
INFOMAR is a successor programme to the Irish National Seabed Survey, the combined efforts of which constitute the largest civilian seabed mapping exercise in the world.
To date the INFOMAR programme has conducted detailed surveys in Bantry, Dunmanus, Galway, Sligo and Donegal Bays as well as priority area off the south-west coast of Ireland.
INFOMAR is exploring and mapping the seafloor using high resolution multibeam sonar, measuring gravity and magnetic variation, and recovering grab samples for biological, chemical and geological analysis. In addition, shallower areas (<10m) are mapped using an airborne LIDAR system.
Seoladh Líon-ionaid um Léarscáiliú Mara
Soláthrófar pictiúir mionsonraithe de ghrinneall na mara um Éirinn ar www.infomar.ie
Caladh Bhaile Átha Cliath, 16ú Meitheamh 2008
Sheol an tAire Stáit ag an Roinn Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha, Seán de Paor TD líon-ionad nua www.infomar.ie inniu, líon-ionad a sholáthróidh eolas ar airíonna grinneall na mara, ar ghnáthóga fisiciúla agus ar dhoimhne na mara ó áit go céile arna gcnuasach tríd an gcóras INFOMAR (léarscáiliú comhtháite um fhorbairt inmharthana acmhainn mhara na hÉireann), atá mar chlár léarscáilithe mara náisiúnta na hÉireann.
Ag caint dó ar bhord an Celtic Explorer, ceann des na báid atá páirteach sa chlár, dúirt an tAire de Paor: “Agus breis agus 220 milliún acra dár gcríoch náisiúnta ag leathadh leo faoi dhromchla na mara is iomaí tairbhe ionchasach ón acmhainn seo nach léir dúinn fós. Tá fionnachtain den acmhainn seo ar siúil faoin gclár INFOMAR agus táthar ag cur an t-eolas sin ar fáil “ar líne”. Bainfidh mórchuid gníomhaíochtaí éagsúla leas as an líon-ionad seo, idir loingseoireacht, slándáil ar mhuir agus bainistíocht ar iascaigh agus ar acmhainn an ghrinnill. Agus an dá chúram orm um Shocaí an Eolais agus um Acmhainní Nádúrtha is cúis áthais dom seachadadh an eolais a fheiscint mar croí-lár a chuid oibríochtaí ag an gclár INFOMAR.”
Mar fhocal scoir thug an tAire de Paor aitheantas dóibh siúd go léir atá páirteach sa tionscnamh atá á chomh-bhainistiú ag Suirbhéireacht Gheolaíochta Éireann agus ag Foras na Mara: “Nuair a ghlactar INFOMAR le céile lena réamhtheachtaí Suirbhéireacht Náisiúnta na hÉireann de Ghrinneall na Mara, is é an clár léarscáilithe mara sibhialtach is mó ar domhan é agus astu is fíor-cheannródaí í Éire san tsaothar croídhíchill seo. Tá comhordú nach beag ón dá eagraíocht, ós na heolaithe agus ó foirne na long, na mbád agus na n-eitleán chun toradh an tionscnaimh seo a bhaint amach agus tréaslaím le gach aon duine díobh.”
Tá bailchríoch díreach sroichte ar oibríochtaí faoin gclár INFOMAR i mBánna Dhún na nGall agus Shligigh arna ndéanamh ar bhord bád Fhoras na Mara RV Celtic Voyager. Ina theannta sin críochnaíodh suirbhéanna LiDAR ón aer le seachtainí beaga ar chodanna de Bhánna na Gaillimhe agus Thrá Lí agus de Loch Fheabhail. Ag labhairt dó agus líon-ionad INFOMAR á sheoladh dúirt John Evans comh-bhainisteoir na gclár ar son Foras na Mara don chlár INFOMAR: “Tá áthas orainn agus ar ár gcomhghuaillithe san tSuirbhéireacht Gheolaíochta go bhfuil a oiread déanta againn go dtí seo den limistéar chois cósta a léarscáiliú. Is mór an dúshlán romhainn suirbhé a dhéanamh ar na bánna airithe seo agus molaimid do chách amharc ar an sonraíocht ar an líon-ionad www.infomar.ie.”
CRÍOCH
Ag lorg breis eolais duit, cuir fios ar:
John Joyce, Bainisteoir Cumarsáide, Foras na Mara
Teileafón: 087 225 08 71
r-phost: John.joyce@marine.ie
nó ar Phreasoifig na Roinne.
Teileafón: (01) 678 24 41
r-phost: press.office@dcenr.gov.ie
Notaí don eagarthóir:
Comhfhiontar uaillmhianach idir Suirbhéireacht Gheolaíochta Éireann agus Foras na Mara atá in INFOMAR chun na farraigí chois cósta is táirgiúla agus is mó luach tráchtála a léarscáiliú. Agus 125,000 ciliméadar cearnacha de chríocha fo-thoinn faoina réir soláthróidh INFOMAR táirgí léarscáilíochta comhtháite faoi ghnéithe fisiciúla, ceimiceacha agus bitheolaíochta de ghrinneall na mara.
Is comharba INFOMAR ar Shuirbhéireacht Náisiúnta na hÉireann de Ghrinneall na Mara agus á dtógáil le céile tá againn an tionscnamh léarscáilíochta sibhialta is mó ar domhain um ghrinneall na mara a léarscáiliú.
Go dtí seo tá grinn-suirbhéanna imeartha ag INFOMAR ar bhánna Bheanntraí, Dhún Mhanghais, na Gaillimhe agus Dhún na nGall agus ar cheantracha tosaíochta amuigh ó chósta iardheisceart na hÉireann.