The Directors and staff of the Marine Institute welcomed the Volvo Ocean Race to their own “home port” of Galway with a number of events and exhibitions showcasing Irish marine science above and below the waters of Galway Bay over the time of the visit.
Full details and updates on all our events over the Volvo Ocean Race visit to Galway are available on our dedicated Volvo Ocean Race Page.
Galway "Explorers" Team puts the word out on "The Real Map of Ireland"
"Green Dragon" skipper Ian Walker takes the helm at the "Nobby Boat" observation tank in the Explorer tent.
Thursday 4th June saw a record number of young students from schools all round the Galway area and beyond, visit the Galway "Explorers" education and outreach tent organised by the Marine Institute, Galway Atlantaquaria and NUI Galway.
Over 600 students and their teachers braved a blistering hot day to learn how Ireland is "90% undiscovered . . . undeveloped . . . and underwater" through displays of seabed mapping, DVD footage and exhibits of deepwater corals, a working physical model of tidal streams in Galway Bay and a chance to get "up close and personal" with dogfish, starfish, sea anemones and spider crabs.
Each student received an "Explorers" activities book and map, while each teacher was given a pack containing books maps, lesson plans and information on how to integrate marine subjects into the SESE curriculum back in the classroom.
The "Explorers" tent has been running throughout the weekdays of the Volvo event. Members of the Explorers Team would like to thanks everyone who manned the stands to help bring the sea to the classroom during this period and, in particular, the teachers and pupils who visited the exhibits for dropping by.
A special word of thanks is also due to the various VIPs and personalities from the race, including Irish skipper Ian Walker, for calling in to give their support to educating young people about the sea.
SmartBay Portal Open for Real-time information on Galway Bay
IBM and the Marine Institute have launched a specially designed web portal to provide the public with the latest information on weather, sea and tidal conditions in the Galway Bay area.
The web portal, which is an element of the SmartBay pilot project, has been developed as part of an ongoing collaboration between the IBM Centre of Excellence for Water Quality in Dublin and the Marine Institute in Galway.
The portal will be of great benefit to the large number of mariners and seafarers expected to visit Galway over the duration of the the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Galway City.
You can access the portal through this link on:
http://www.marine.ie/home/services/operational/SmartBay/SmartBay+Volvo+Ocean+Race.htm
and following the instructions on that page.
“The Real Map of Ireland” - See Galway Bay from the bottom up!
The Marine Institute is displaying “The Real Map of Ireland”, featuring a breathtaking contoured map of Ireland’s 220 million acre underwater territory, activity book, lesson plans and an interactive three dimensional computer model in a special exhibition on the quayside during the Volvo Ocean Race event. Free copies of the map will be available.
Teachers can also download a briefing document and activity sheets on "The Real Map of Ireland" in advance of their visit to make the most of their time on the stand.
For details of lesson plans and other educational materials offered by the Marine Institute click here
Galway Explorers Schools Programme
In partnership with Galway Atlantaquaria and the Forfas Discover Primary Science Programme, the Marine Institute will be participating in the “Explorers” schools outreach programme to bring the ocean to the classroom. This programme, along with a special “Nobby Boat” touch tank, will be on display next to the Marine Institute’s “Real Map of Ireland” stand on the quayside throughout the Volvo Ocean Race event.
For full details of the “Explorers” programme, click here.
The Marine Institute welcomes all visitors to Galway over the period of the Volvo Ocean Race and wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable visit.
For full details and updates on all our events over the Volvo Ocean Race visit to Galway are available on our dedicated Volvo Ocean Race Page.
Beach Clean Up at Rinville Beach – Friday 15th May.
The Marine Institute was proud to be part of the series of Beach Clean-Ups taking place around Galway Bay over the weekend of the 15th to 17th May in preparation for the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race. As they have done in previous clean-ups at Rinville, staff members from the Marine Institute, assisted this year by members of the Galway Bay Sailing Club and Galway Sub Aqua Club and Galway County Council, blitzed the beach of a full skip-load of flotsam and jetsam in three hours, which was then disposed of by the County Council.
For a full report on the event, plus interesting information on the effects of marine rubbish, click here.
For full details of previous beach clean ups by Marine Institute staff click here.