ANNUAL REPORT 2008 Serving Science and The Sea To the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, In accordance with the requirements of the Marine Institute Act, 1991, I have the honour of presenting the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Marine Institute for the year ended 31st December 2008 Jim Fennell, Chairman The Marine Institute is the national agency which has the following general functions: ‘to undertake, to co-ordinate, to promote and to assist in marine research and development and to provide such services related to marine research and development that, in the opinion of the Marine Institute, will promote economic development and create employment and protect the marine environment.’ Marine Institute Act 1991 Our Vision A thriving maritime economy in harmony with the ecosystem and supported by the excellence of our services Photographs throughout this publication are © Marine Institute and courtesy of: David Branigan - Oceansport Andrew Downes Photography Cushla Dromgool-Regan Pauhla McGrane Ciaran O’Donnell Ger Rogan Jonathan White Contents Introduction and Organisation Structure 1 Board Members 2 Chairman’s Statement 4 Chief Executive’s Report 6 Corporate Services 8 Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) 9 Marine Environment & Food Safety Services 12 Fisheries Science Services 14 Aquaculture & Catchment Management Services 16 Ocean Science Services 18 Strategic Planning & Development Services 20 General Administration 22 Appendices Appendix 1 – Sea Change Activities in 2008 24 Appendix 2 – Irish Participation in EU RTD Projects 28 Appendix 3 – Marine Institute Publications 29 Appendix 4 – Publications 29 Appendix 5 – Census Data for the Burrishoole System, 2008 34 Appendix 6 – Research Vessel Programme 2008 34 Appendix 7 – Foreign Marine Scientific Research (MSR) Activities in Irish Waters in 2008 38 Appendix 8 – Conference / Workshop Sponsorship in 2008 39 Appendix 9 – Scientific Working Groups Served by Marine Institute Personnel 40 Glossary of Abbreviations 45 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 49 Marine Institute Annual Report 2008 Marine Institute Organogram 2008 Chief Executive Officer Corporate Services Contract and Legal Services Irish Maritime Development Industry Liaison and Support Finance Services Biotoxins Marketing & Business Development Human Resources Chemistry Education and Outreach Communications Quality International Development Facilities Marine Enviroment & Fish Health Library & Information Services Food Safety Services Data Collection Fisheries Science Services Resource Assessment and Advice Aquaculture and Rearing Ecosystem Approach Wild Salmon Modelling And Simulation Aquaculture and Catchment Catchment and Freshwater Research Management Services Fisheries Stakeholder Interaction Information Services and Ocean Science Services Seabed Surveys Development Research Vessel Operations International Co-operation Oceanographic Services Sea Change Management Unit Strategic Planning & Discovery R&D Programmes Development Services Ocean Energy Advanced Marine Technology Marine Biotechnology/Biodiscovery Introduction and Organisation Structure Introduction and Organisation Structure The Marine Institute is the national agency for marine research, The Institute provides essential marine research services including: technology, development & innovation (RTDI). We seek to assess and › National research and development funding programmes realise the economic potential of Ireland’s vast marine resource; promote sustainable development of marine industry through strategic funding › Fish stock assessment programmes and essential scientific services; and safeguard Ireland’s › Fish health services natural marine resource through research and environmental monitoring. › Marine food safety monitoring Ireland has a marine resource of 220 million acres under the sea, which › Environmental monitoring is over ten times its land area and, until recently, largely undiscovered. › Research vessel operations We promote the sustainable development of this vast marine resource through research, the application of new technologies and by providing › Seabed mapping management advice to industry, the Government and EU. › Data management To provide these services to the highest degree of excellence, and to plan for future developments, the Institute is structured into seven Service Teams, as outlined in the organogram opposite. This report highlights the key deliverables and progress made towards our vision during 2008. 1 Marine Institute Annual Report 2008 Board Members Mr. Jim Fennell - Incoming Chairman Mr. Richie Flynn (2007–2012) (2008–2013) Mr. Flynn is currently the executive Jim Fennell is a Fellow of the Chartered secretary of the IFA’s Aquaculture Association of Certified Accountants Section, incorporating the Irish who holds the position of Financial Salmon Growers’ Association, the Controller and Secretary to the Irish Shellfish Association and the Governing Body of Galway-Mayo Irish Trout Producers’ Group. He Institute of Technology (GMIT). In is the current Chairman of the EU addition to his role at GMIT he also Commission’s Aquaculture Advisory holds a number of directorships Committee. Mr Flynn holds a Batchelor including; Treasurer of Galway of Arts degree in Communications Chamber of Commerce, Galway Studies from Dublin City University Technology Centre, An Chéim and is a former member of the Irish (Collaborative Higher Education Executive Council of the National Information Management), Chairman Union of Journalists (NUJ). of Audit Committee HEAnet (Ireland’s National Education and Research Network), Chairman of the HEAnet Prof. Bernie M Hannigan Finance Sub-committee and Mayo (2007-2012) County Council Audit Committee Professor Hannigan is Pro-Vice Chancellor (Strategic Projects) at the University of Ulster, Northern Mr. Kevin Bonner - Outgoing Ireland. On a part-time basis, Bernie Chairman (2005-2008) is seconded to the position of Chief Kevin Bonner was educated at Scientific Advisor to the Department University College Dublin (BA), Trinity of Health, Social Services and Public College Dublin (MSc Econ) and the Safety, Northern Ireland. Previous King’s Inns (Dip Legal Studies) and roles at the University included has spent most of his career in the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Irish civil service, which he joined in Innovation) and Dean of the Faculty 1967. He retired in 1997 as Secretary of Life & Health Sciences, also at General of the Department of Ulster. Professor Hannigan is an Enterprise, Trade and Employment Immunologist with particular interest - a Department with a budget of € in the relationships between nutrition 1.5 billion, and 1,000 policy-oriented and immune competence. Educated staff employed directly and 4,000 at Trinity College Dublin and the Royal indirectly in the Department’s College of Surgeons in Ireland, she has agencies - IDA, Enterprise Ireland, published almost 100 peer-reviewed Forfas, FAS (Training Agency), papers, supervised over 20 students Competition Authority, Patents to successful doctoral graduation Office, Labour Court, Labour Relations and attracted significant external Commission, Health and Safety research funding from a variety of UK Authority, etc. Mr. Bonner has been and international sources. Externally a member of National Economic and she is, or has been, director of a range Social Council and the Council of the of organisations that include science Economic and Social parks, knowledge / technology Research Institute. exchange and the support of emerging technology-based companies. Her membership of the Board of Invest Ms. Terry Fleming (2004-2009) Northern Ireland helped to ensure that A Tax and Financial consultant, the potential economic contribution Terry Fleming has over 20 years’ of the universities was included in experience as a corporate tax adviser regional development strategy within with PricewaterhouseCoopers. She the province. has worked on a wide variety of tax consulting, due diligence and corporate restructuring projects for a portfolio of major Irish and multinational clients, both publicly quoted and privately owned. Educated at UCD and DCU, she is a member of the Irish Taxation Institute. She is currently working as 2 an independent consultant. Board Members Ms. Dairine MacFadden (2005–2010) Dr. Emer Rogan (2007–2012) Dairine Mac Fadden is a solicitor Emer Rogan is a lecturer in the originally from Donegal but now Dept. of Zoology, Ecology and Plant based in Dublin. She graduated from Science, University College, Cork. UCD with a law degree (B.C.L) and She completed her BSc in UCD in returned there later to do a Diploma 1984 and her PhD in UCC in 1990 on in European Law, followed by a plankton ecology. Since then, her Masters Degree in Law by thesis on main research focus has been on the Common Fisheries Policy. She has marine mammal ecology and biology, worked as In-house Solicitor for RTÉ marine mammal fisheries interactions and also for TG4 and has represented and also the functioning of marine commercial fishermen throughout ecosytems, relating dietary analysis to Ireland while in general practice. She bioaccumulation, migratory patterns is currently engaged as a consultant and oceanographic and bathymetric in a solicitor’s practice in Dublin. parameters. She has supervised over 20 MSc and PhD students in marine mammal and fisheries ecology and has Mr. Joey Murrin (1998-2008) authored many papers in academic Formerly Chairman of the Irish and professional journals, press Fishermen’s’ Organisation