ESONET is a proposed sub sea component of the European GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) to provide strategic long term monitoring capability in geophysics, geotechnics, chemistry, biochemistry, oceanography, biology and fisheries. To provide representative sampling around Europe, 10 regional networks are proposed in contrasting oceanographic regions.
The ESONET website provides full details on the project, where reports can be downloaded.
The ESONET Network of Excellence (NoE) brings together experts in the field across Europe. In addition the ESONET project also has an Education and Outreach site.
One of the selected sites (CeltNET) is located in the Porcupine Seabight, offshore Ireland. The Porcupine area forms a focal point of European deep sea fisheries and is closely located at one of the main arteries of global shipping. It shows high geomorphologic variety with abundant canyons, broad- and narrow banded slopes, a vast intersection into the margin, in combination with a variety of smaller mesoscale geomorphologic structures such as carbonate mounds. This large geomorphological variability provides the basis for a multifaceted habitat- and species diversity.
Propsed CeltNET Cable Route
Consequently, the area represents a major genetic and biochemical reserve of the European continental margin. One of the most spectacular ecosystems of the Irish EEZ are aphotic coral ecosystems, widely distributed along the NW-European continental margin. There is convincing evidence that many fishes deposit their egg cases between the corals (sharks, rayfishes). Others form huge schools of fish in the summit regions of the reefs for a certain time period (redfish, cod). For this reason, deep-water reefs are substantial for fishes acting as nursery, breeding and spawning sites.