MarinERA database launched

Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute, today (Tuesday 7th October) welcomed the launch of the MarinERA on-line Map/Portal to European Atlantic Marine Research Centres.

The Portal site provides Google-map-based access to information on over 350 Marine Research Centres from 10 countries located along the European Atlantic Coastline stretching from Iceland/Norway in the north to Spain/Portugal in the south.  

The database/portal is designed to complement similar regional databases such as that prepared for the Baltic Sea (BONUS) and the Mediterranean and Black Seas (CIESM).   The database /portal will provide a very useful tool to encourage and foster closer collaboration and co-operation in marine research and development in the North Atlantic. It is an important regional contribution to the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (October 2007) and the recently published European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research (September 2008).  

The MarinERA Project (2004-2009) is an EU FP6 pilot ERA-NET bringing together the major European Marine Research Funding Organisations from 13 of the 26 European Coastal States.  

You can visit the database / portal at: http://www.marinera.net/