SMART

This dedicated ROV survey led Dr Louise Allcock of NUI Galway from the  24th of May to the 6th of June will utilise the Irish deep-water ROV Holland I to collect benthic  fauna – specifically sponges and corals and high definition video data from a range of deep water sites along the edge of the continental shelf west of Ireland.

The wider objectives of the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI)  project are to:

(1) target biodiscovery research at cnidarian (coral) and sponge species that occur in Ireland’s offshore waters, via a comprehensive collecting and screening programme.

(2) predict the likelihood of novel products being found in any other sponge or coral species occurring in Irish deep waters.

(3) analyse the distribution of species with predicted biodiscovery potential to provide maps of ‘biodiscovery hotspots’ which will allow more cost efficient future exploitation and also provide information that will facilitate their effective conservation.

The successful applicant will be advised of ports of embarkation and disembarkation closer to the dates of the survey with either Galway or Cork most likely to be utilised.

This multidisciplinary survey will appeal to a postgraduate or advanced undergraduate student with a confirmed interest in one or more of the following themes: marine biodiscovery, benthic biology, and oceanography.  Proposals for data collection that can be accommodated within survey operations will be considered.

Requirements

Applications and further information

To apply for this and other TTRS surveys please visit this link.

The closing date for applications for this survey is Friday the 14th April.

Additional information on biodiversity in Ireland's deep waters can be found at this link.

Further enquiries to: smart@gmit.ie