Foreign Vessel Surveys
A number of Foreign Marine Scientific Research (FMSR) programs 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 the surveys as the Irish Observer onboard, please see details of our Foreign Vessel Observer Scheme to check that you qualify and how to apply.
FOREIGN MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SURVEYS 2026
| COUNTRY | VESSEL NAME | LOCATION | CRUISE OBJECTIVES | FROM (DATE) | TO (DATE) | IRISH OBSERVER |
| UK | CORYSTES | Western Irish Sea | To maintain the AFBI oceanographic mooring in the western Irish Sea | 7th Jan | 13th Jan | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | CORYSTES | Western Irish Sea | To maintain the AFBI oceanographic mooring in the western Irish Sea | 16th Feb | 23rd Feb | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | Scotia | ICES management area 6A | Bottom Trawl Survey targeting commercial gadoids and other demersal species within ICES Subarea 6A | Feb 16th | Mar 10th | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | Endeavour | Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel and western Channel | This is a ground-fish survey using two 4m beam trawls operating as part of the internationally-coordinated Working Group on Beam Trawl Surveys (WGBEAM) for southern and western waters. | Feb 23rd | Mar 27th | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | CORYSTES | Irish Sea and St George’s Channel | Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Irish Sea and St George’s Channel Quarter 1 March 2026 Ground-fish Survey | 4th March | 28th March | One berth available for an Observer |
| Netherlands | Tridens | Western Approaches and West Ireland | International Blue Whiting Survey | 16th Mar | 10th Apr | Observer confirmed |
| Norway | M/V Vendla | Atlantic Ocean West of Ireland | Blue whiting spawning stock Survey | 16th Mar | 1st April | One berth available for an Observer |
| Spain | Vizconde de Eza | Atlantic Ocean West of Ireland | International Blue Whiting Survey 0326 | 16th Mar | 2nd April | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | MRV Scotia | ICES management areas 4a, 6a and 6b. | Scottish / Irish Anglerfish Megrim Industry Science Survey (SIAMISS) | 14th April | 4th May | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | RRS Discovery | NE Atlantic, west of the UK and Ireland in the High Seas. | RRS Discovery Cruise 210 – Multidecadal Change at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory | 2nd May | 22nd May | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | CORYSTES | Irish Sea and North Channel | NIMIK Survey 2026 | 20th May | 10th June | Observer confirmed |
| UK | RRS Discovery | North Atlantic Ocean | Service the Brittany ODAS Buoy at the deployed site | 25th May | 2nd June | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | CORYSTES | Western Irish Sea | Agriculture Food and Biosciences Institute UWTV survey to determine Nephrops abundance in FU 15 | 28th July | 10th August | No berth available |
| UK | CORYSTES | Irish Sea | Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Irish Sea Nephrops Assessment Trawl Survey | 19th Aug | 23rd Aug | One berth available for an Observer |
| UK | CORYSTES | Irish Sea and St George’s Channel | Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Irish Sea pelagic acoustic Survey 2026 | 1st Sept | 24th Sept | One berth available for an Observer |