Marine Institute welcomes over 400 visitors to Mayo research facility
THE Marine Institute welcomed over 400 people after it opened its doors to give visitors the opportunity to view its facility located in the Burrishoole Valley.
The research facility in Furnace, near Newport, forms one of the greatest natural laboratories for studying migratory fish in Europe.
Visitors had the opportunity to tour the state of the art facilities and to meet with researchers and scientists and hear about some of the exciting research projects taking place at the site.
The Institute organised a series of interactive exhibitions which were designed to introduce visitors to some of the innovative work of the Marine Institute in areas including research vessel operations and oceanography, as well as fisheries and the marine environment. A number of PhD candidates were also available to talk to students about their subject choices and potential careers in the marine sector.
Marine Institute CEO Dr. Paul Connolly said: “We are delighted that over 400 visitors availed of the opportunity to visit our Newport facility and see some of the innovative work that is being undertaken on site. It is so important that we raise awareness about the Institute’s work and inspire communities on the importance of scientific research.
“A special word of thanks to our staff for their support and hard work in making the open day such a success.”
In addition to the public open day, the Marine Institute welcomed over 120 primary school pupils and their teachers earlier in the week for special tours.
Speaking on their visit, St. Brendan's National School, Myna, Kilmeena said: “We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Marine Institute. It was fantastic! The children gained so much from it. They got to do some sampling in the labs, and see some deep water fish species that had been captured during surveys onboard the RV Celtic Explorer and RV Tom Crean. They learned how weather data is recorded for Met Eireann. They saw fish and eels in a fish trap and salmon smolts that will be released in the next few weeks. What a great day! Thanks so much to all of the staff.”
The Marine Institute in Newport is a unique facility, where data on climate, ecosystem and environment has been collected since 1955. Founded on this unique time series of data, a broad range of innovative research has been developed, giving insights and understanding to contemporary issues such as the impacts of climate change on coastal aquatic systems.
For more information on the Marine Institute’s Newport Facility visit marine.ie.