CE0620 INFOMAR Seabed Survey

The integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource (INFOMAR) programme is a joint venture between the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and the Marine Institute (MI). The programme is a successor to the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS) and concentrates on creating a range of integrated mapping products of the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed in the near-shore area. This survey was conducted in August/September 2006 in the Atlantic Ocean in an area offshore Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay, Co. Kerry. The survey was carried out to provide the INFOMAR project with Swathe Bathymetry, Single Beam Echo sounder, Sub-Bottom Profiling, magnetometer, Gravity and ground truthing data. Additional a programme of grab and box corer sampling on previously surveyed areas in 2005 and 2004 were conducted, as well as a series of conductivity Temperature depth (CTD) transects. A Marine Mammal Observer was also on-board to conduct visual surveys of cetaceans.