POSTPONED Marine Institute celebrates Newport 300 with Lecture Series

NOTE: Unfortunately a decision has been made to postpone the two lecture evenings till a later date during the Newport 300 celebrations.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Newport, the Marine Institute will be presenting a lecture series on Thursday 12th and 19th March at Nevin's Newfield Inn, Newport, Co. Mayo. A range of speakers will share their experiences and discuss the research undertaken at the Marine Institute's Newport Research Facility.

The facility in Co. Mayo has been in operation since 1955 and has been part of the Marine Institute since 1999. Research focuses on a wide range of topics including fish ecology, genetics, population dynamics and advice for a broad range of species, as well as oceanography and impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.

The first lecture on March 12th begins at 7pm and will focus on the 'How and Why of Burrishoole Research and how it has evolved.' Russell Poole, of the Marine Institute, will outline 65 years of Burrishoole research. The fish traps managed by the Marine Institute, and located between Lough Furnace and Lough Feeagh, monitor all movements of fish to and from the freshwater catchment. Burishoole is one of the few places in the world where every single migratory fish moving in or out of the catchment can be counted. Elvira de Eyto, Marine Institute and past Cullen Fellow Sean Kelly, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) will talk about 65 years of Environmental observations of the Burrishoole catchment which includes data collection on weather, water quality, floods and plankton. Author Sean Lysaght will conclude the first lecture series by speaking about Eagles in Mayo - Their Heritage and History.

The second lecture series titled 'Marine and Wildlife in Clew Bay' will be held on Thursday 19th March at 7pm. Aisling Doogan, PhD student at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and a Cullen Fellow at the Marine Institute, will talk about her research on Tracking Atlantic salmon smolts through Clew Bay. Phil McGinnity, Marine Institute and University College Cork (UCC) has been involved in fisheries research and management for more than a quarter of a century and will discuss his research in fish population genetics. Eoin McGreal, Conservation Ranger, National Parks and Wildlife Service will also speak about the variety of wildlife in Clew Bay.

Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute said "We are delighted to host this lecture series to support Newport 300. The Marine Institute's Newport Research Facility is a hub for national and international research with Marine Institute staff, collaborating researchers and students based at the facility. This lecture series is a great opportunity to share our diverse range of research projects with the Newport community."

The Marine Institute will also host a Family Open Day on Sunday 29th March, 11am – 4pm to celebrate Newport 300.