Minister O’Dowd announces 20 new high-end Marine Research jobs at BT Young Scientist Exhibition
Geological Survey showcases flagship projects – INFOMAR (Marine Research) and Tellus Border (Environment) - to the RDS thousands, who can also attempt gold panning and a 3D flying experience!
Students from across Ireland will find out that Geology Rocks at the Geological Survey of Ireland’s fully interactive “Geological Sciences” stand at this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. A team of professional geologists – but ready for fun! - will be on hand in Dublin’s RDS from 12th-14th January hosting a range of interactive activities revealing the extraordinary formation of our precious rocks, minerals and landscape.
Visiting the GSI stand at the BTYSE today, Minister for Natural Resources, Fergus O’Dowd, announced a programme of applied research that will support more than 20 high end jobs in 2012. The research is part of INFOMAR, the national marine mapping programme, being conducted by the Geological Survey and Marine Institute and funded by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The Minister stated, “I am particularly pleased to be able to announce the successful programme, while visiting the Young scientists Exhibition, which showcases the scientific talent being developed in Ireland. The 23 projects being funded under INFOMAR range from evaluations of tidal energy sites, to studies of Dublin bay and development of an online marine resources game. All the projects build on the vast amount of data being gathered under our national marine mapping programme, and represent the real world projects that can contribute to the economy and employ our young scientists in the future.”
From marvellous minerals to fabulous fossils, wondrous water resources and extraordinary earthquakes, visitors to the stand will get an in-depth look at the geology of Ireland and the earth all around us. They can also experience an amazing geo-visionary flying experience and try their hand at gold panning! In addition, marine scientists from INFOMAR will be on hand to explain how most of Ireland is actually under the sea! And to really help visitors get to grips with ‘Understanding Underground’, the team from the Tellus Border Project - a ground-breaking geological mapping project of the border region of Ireland – will be revealing how the project will help us get to grips with our landscapes.
The Geological Sciences stand is located in the Eco Zone (stand 12) at the Exhibition. It contains exhibitions from the Tellus Border, INFOMAR and Groundwater Protection projects and exhibitions from Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and the Natural History Museum of Ireland
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ENDS
Notes to the Editors
INFOMAR Project
The INFOMAR (INtegrated Mapping FOr the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s MARine Resource) programme is a joint venture between the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute and is the successor to the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS). INFOMAR project will produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed. The surveys are carried using a range of platforms, including the Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager, inshore launches and Airborne LIDAR. The programme uses ship-mounted acoustic multibeam sonar and geophysical technology to provide vital information on water depth for safe shipping, as well as analyse the properties of the seabed for information that can guide fishing, ocean renewable development, environmental protection, and marine archaeology.
New Research Jobs supported by INFOMAR
These jobs announced by Minister O’Dowd originate from the latest round of funded research under INFOMAR and follow on from previous programmes that have covered topics from 3D visualisation to Cold water coral studies. In each case the projects will run for up to a year, and may lead to commercial development at their conclusion. Nine of the projects are being led by SMEs with 14 led by Research Groups and almost all involve multi-partner collaborations.
Among the projects selected for funding are:
- A popular online marine resource game, by REAL SIM Ltd of Galway.
This project will develop an online game, based on the popularity of games such as Farmville, where participants can build up a fishing fleet, fish farms and other enterprises offshore. However the game will include real world data such as the maps from the INFOMAR Project and real world figures such as Fish Stock numbers from the Marine institute. Thus players can have fun and also learn about the implications of over-fishing, sustainable development and the complexity of Ireland’s offshore.
REAL SIM are an Irish SME based in Galway , who provide highly realistic interactive and passive 3D simulations of the world around us, for a wide range of clients and applications, which include urban planning, marine simulation, historical environment re-construction, industrial process and medical device simulation. They were winners of the ITAG Emerging ICT Company of the Year, 2011. Other partners include NUIG and the University of Tromso in Norway. See http://www.realsim.ie/
- Coastal Seabed Observatory Platform (COSOP), by Techworks, Dunlaoghaire
This project will develop a robust and low cost self-powered mobile seabed lander device, essentially a movable platform for sensing data in the sea. Such a device is vital for gathering information for not just scientific purposes but to support environmental monitoring and development such as renewable energy, fish farms and outfalls. TechWorks Marine provide clients with world-class solutions to monitor the marine
environment. They provide products and services to a range of sectors including offshore renewable energy, coastal engineering, ports and harbours, oil and gas, aquaculture, water and utilities, academia, research and statutory monitoring. See http://www.techworks.ie/
- Development of online webGIS educational portal about Ireland’s Coastal and Marine Geology, University College Cork
This project will develop short video clips on Ireland’s most interesting coastal geology, explained in simple terms by Ireland’s leading geological experts. These clips will then be made available online, with relevant maps, for both students of geology and the general public to enhance learning and tourism. Ireland contains an almost unique diversity of geology for such a small island and this project complements ongoing initiatives in Landscape Tourism to develop it as a location for field trips by overseas universities and colleges. www.gsi.ie/Education/Landscape+Tourism.htm
Tellus Border
The Tellus Border project is a joint initiative between the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI), Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University Belfast and builds on the award-winning Tellus Project which has already successfully mapped Northern Ireland. Data collected during both surveys will be integrated with the existing data to give a cross border geological baseline.
‘Tellus’ was the Roman goddess of the earth, also called Terra Mater.
The Tellus Border Project is the largest of the latest awards under the Environment theme of INTERREG IVA and is part funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of the Environment. Launched in July 2011, the EU-funded Tellus Border Project involves an air survey and a ground survey and will run until 2013. Led by world class scientists the information collected by the low flying aircraft, equipped with the latest geological technology, and the team of ‘on the ground’ soil samplers will help us better understand the make-up of our natural resources and plan effectively for their future.
SEUPB
- The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IV designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland.
- The INTERREG IVA 2007-2013 Programme is worth €256 million and aims to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of borders. It supports strategic cross-border co-operation for a more prosperous and sustainable region.
For more information on the SEUPB please visit http://www.seupb.eu/
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