A number of foreign marine scientific research programmes (FMSR) are undertaken in Irish waters each year. Summary details of the surveys are available in the table below.
If you're interested in participating in any of these surveys as the Irish Observer onboard, please see details of our Foreign Vessel Observer Scheme to check that you qualify.
Please note we are not accepting applications for the Observer Scheme until further notice due to COVID 19.
FOREIGN MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SURVEYS 2020
| COUNTRY | VESSEL NAME | LOCATION | CRUISE OBJECTIVES | FROM (DATE) | TO (DATE) | IRISH OBSERVER |
| UK | Scotia | ICES Management area VIA | Bottom Trawl Survey targeting juvenile gadoid species | 18/02/2020 | 08/03/2020 | Observer Selected |
| UK | Cefas Endeavour | Celtic Sea, Bristol & Western Channels | Groundfish Survey | 15/02/2020 | 15/03/2020 | Observer Selected |
| UK | Cefas Endeavour | Celtic Sea, Western & Bristol Channels | Groundfish Survey | 10/03/2020 | 23/04/2020 | Observer Selected |
| Netherlands | Tridens | West Coast of Ireland | Estimate the spawning stock abundance of Blue Whiting using acoustic methods. | 16/03/2020 | 10/04/2020 | Observer Selected |
| Norway | Morten Einar | North of The PAP | To test catch regulation devices for limiting catch sizes and conduct underwater observations of the fishing gear. | 19/03/2020 | 30/03/2020 | Observer Selected |
| Norway | King's Bay | Atlantic Ocean Northwest of Ireland | Acoustic Assessment of the Blue Whiting Spawning Stock | 20/03/2020 | 06/04/2020 | Observer Selected |
| Spain | Vizconde de Eza | South Porcupine bank and Seabight | Acoustic abundance estimates and distribution patterns of Blue Whiting | 16/03/2020 | 28/03/2020 | Observer Selected |
| Norway | Fiskebas | Atlantic Ocean, West of Ireland and Scotland | Tagging and biological sampling of mackerel. | 05/05/2020 | 04/06/2020 | |
| US | Atlantis | Porcupine Abyssal Plain | Global ocean net primary production and its implications on climates. | 04/03/2020 | 13/06/2020 | |
| UK | Scotia | Rockall Plateau, NW Slope & NW Ireland | Trawl survey to estimate the abundance & distribution of anglerfish. | 10/04/2020 | 22/04/2020 | |
| Netherlands | Pelagia | Whittard Canyon Complex | The unknown role of submarine canyons- Pathways or sinks for organic carbon. | 08/05/2020 | 20/05/2020 | |
| Spain | Vizconde De Eza | Porcupine Bank | Abundance estimations and distribution patterns of demersal-benthic species. | 05/09/2020 | 11/10/2020 |