Marine Institute celebrates sea science for Galway Science and Technology Festival

8 November 2021: To celebrate Science Week, the Marine Institute and the Explorers Education Programme will support the 2021 Galway Science and Technology Festival, running from the 7th to 21st November 2021.

Patricia Orme, Director of Corporate Services at the Marine Institute said, "The Marine Institute has supported the annual Galway Science and Technology Festival for many years, as the event nurtures students' interest and curiosity in science and technology subjects. We are delighted to engage with parents and children again this year to inspire the next generation to be ocean champions and pursue marine careers."

The Marine Institute's Explorers Education Programme and Galway Atlantaquaria are providing school classes with guided tours of Ireland's largest native species aquarium. Primary school children will receive an Explorers resource pack and access the aquarium's virtual tour. The Explorers Wild about Wildlife on the Seashore short films will also be showcased for Science Week.

Dive beneath the surface to explore our deep sea in 'The Wild Atlantic – Sea Science' exhibition at Galway City Museum. Free to visitors, the gallery features new exhibitions on climate change, surveys at sea, and life along the seashore. In the Remotely Operated Vehicle Simulator, explore ocean depths like a marine scientist and discover cold-water corals, shipwrecks and a rare shark nursery. Visitors to the exhibition can pick up a free Children's Activity Book to continue exploring the marine world from home.

The Marine Institute is running a competition on the Galway Science and Technology Festival Facebook page. View the spectacular short film, Ireland's Marine Life, and guess the correct number of species featured for the chance to win a LEGO City Ocean Exploration Submarine Set. In Ireland's Marine Life, follow Fiadh, a gannet, journeying over and underwater and meeting sea creatures along the way - from tiny hermit crabs and jellyfish, to dolphins and basking sharks. This film was a collaboration between the Marine Institute, Irish Chamber Orchestra and underwater filmmaker Vincent Hyland.

Learn about our ocean and climate with Mark Langtry, 'The Science Guy', in the Marine Institute's Sea Science Series available on the Galway Science and Technology Festival website. Mark brings the wonders of sea science to the screen with his entertaining, sometimes explosive, and educational sea science shows. The four-part series includes episodes on ocean acidification, creating ocean currents, and experiments on temperature and salinity.

Discover how scientists at the Marine Institute are increasing our understanding of the ocean through their research with the 'Our People' video series, which profiles the study and career paths of our people and the work they do at the Marine Institute.

For more information, visit www.marine.ie and follow the Marine Institute on Facebook Marine Institute Ireland, Twitter @MarineInst, LinkedIn Marine Institute Instagram @marineInstituteIreland and YouTube MarineInstituteIRL.

For more information about the Explorers Education Programme see www.explorers.ie. The Explorers Education Programme is funded by the Marine Institute, Ireland's state agency for marine research and development.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Sheila Byrnes e. sheila.byrnes@marine.ie m. +353 (0)87 225 0871
Sinéad Coyne e. sinead.coyne@marine.ie m. +353 (0)87 947 7090