MARINE INSTITUTE LAUNCHES ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2025

Marine Institute launches Annual Impact Report 2025. The Marine Institute has released its Annual Impact Report 2025, showcasing the significant achievements and meaningful impacts delivered by the organisation over the past year. 

The Annual Impact Report 2025 features a selection of compelling case studies aligned with each of the Marine Institute’s eight strategic priorities, along with testimonials from stakeholders who have benefitted from vital services, advice and knowledge provided by the Marine Institute. The report also presents key highlights from the year, offering a snapshot of the breadth, scale and quality of the Institute’s activities. 

Dr Rick Officer, CEO of the Marine Institute said:

“The Annual Impact Report demonstrates the range of work that we do at the Institute, why we do it, and the impact it has for the marine sector in Ireland. By reporting on our impacts annually, we aim to show the tangible benefits of our work and our accountability to the strategic priorities that guide our organisation.

“We’re very proud of the Marine Institute’s role in providing high value data, scientific analyses and research, and expert advice to Government, industry and society. Year-on-year, we are realising our vision of being a global leader in ocean knowledge, empowering Ireland and its people to safeguard and sustainably harness our ocean wealth.”

The Annual Impact Report 2025  illustrates how the commitment, expertise, and innovation of the staff at the Marine Institute translate into significant impacts across Ireland and internationally.

Amongst the 10 case studies presented in the report are: 

• Innovative genetic stock identification method leads to re-opening of herring fishery. Through a collaborative research programme between the Marine Institute and its partners, a new genetic stock identification method was developed and validated. It allows individual herring to be accurately assigned to their population of origin in Division 6a (to the north of Ireland and west of Scotland). This new science-based assessment approach led to the reopening of a herring fishery. This had an important impact on the fishing industry, restoring access to a valuable resource for the fleet. The new method has also improved sustainability by reducing uncertainty in stock assessments, ensuring that exploitation rates are appropriate for each herring population.  

• Weathering the storm: the crucial role of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON) during Storm Éowyn. The IMDBON, managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann, was established almost 25 years ago to provide essential meteorological and sea-state information to forecasters, marine users, and researchers. This data improves the accuracy and temporal range of mainland and coastal weather forecasts to enhance safety at sea. Amid the conditions surrounding the arrival of Storm Éowyn in January 2025, the IMDBON buoys played a pivotal role by providing real-time, unbroken measurements of ocean and atmospheric data amid ferocious conditions, enabling Met Éireann to issue precise gale and swell warnings. The weather buoy network delivered real-time ocean and weather data to weather forecasting services, helping to save lives, protect infrastructure, and enhance our scientific understanding of extreme events.
   

• Seabed mapping of Irish waters: increasing our understanding of marine ecosystems and supporting sustainable marine resource management. The Marine Institute’s Advanced Mapping Services is a multidisciplinary team with significant experience in marine exploration, seabed mapping, and research and innovation. The establishment of this team at the Institute in 2003, in support of the Irish National Seabed Survey and successor INFOMAR programme, was a critical step in paving Ireland’s way to its status as a global exemplar in seabed mapping. The data gained from Ireland’s seabed mapping programme are critical for our understanding of marine ecosystems and for the protection of the marine environment. These data also play a huge role in developing our marine knowledge economy and supporting marine spatial planning and decision-making for sustainable marine resource management. 
   

• Providing vital policy advice to mitigate the effects of the Port of Holyhead closure on industry and the public
  In mid-December 2024, the Port of Holyhead in North Wales was forced to close due to severe storm damage to a mooring dolphin that enables vessels to berth in the port. As a result, both passenger and freight services were severely affected – the closure disrupting critical supply chains at one of the most crucial shipping periods of the year, in the run-up to Christmas trading. The Irish Maritime Development Office at the Marine Institute provided policy advice to the Department of Transport in relation to the closure of Holyhead Port due to the storm damage. The advice was compiled in real time and delivered through a Ministerial Taskforce as the full ramifications of the closure of the port unfolded and was central to the mitigation and recovery measures that were put in place. 
   

• The Ocean Climate Section and Deep Mooring Survey – gathering essential long-term ocean and climate data for more than two decades. The flagship scientific survey, which takes place annually aboard the RV Celtic Explorer, focuses on deep waters in the Rockall Trough and the shelf waters off Ireland’s west coast. The survey’s geographic scope is vast, covering dynamic regions in the Rockall Trough, a gateway for water, heat and salt transport from the North East Atlantic to the Nordic seas. The long-term observations from the survey (which began in 2004) help monitor ocean climate change, help improve weather and ocean climate forecasts, and support the sustainable management of our marine environment.   

Some key highlights for the Marine Institute from 2025 include:  

 Ensuring Food Safety through the Marine Institute’s Seafood Safety Programme
Through the Marine Institute’s comprehensive suite of Shellfish Safety Monitoring Programmes, shellfish samples were rigorously analysed in 2025 for the presence of marine biotoxins (c. 2,500 shellfish samples), bacteria and human viruses (c. 1,000 shellfish samples) and the enumeration of harmful micro algae species in water (c. 3,500 water samples).  

Additionally, the Marine Institute continued its European Commission approved monitoring programme of chemical residues in finfish for the aquaculture sector. The Seafood Safety Programme ensures the highest levels of food safety and compliance with legislative requirements and also ensures a high level of consumer confidence in Irish shellfish products. 
 Delivering High-Value Data and Research on Marine Spatial Planning 

The Marine Institute delivered high-value data and services to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment throughout 2025, to support national marine planning priorities. Notable contributions included data and analysis for the North Seas Energy Cooperation and the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative, supporting Ireland’s role in regional marine collaboration. 
Also in 2025, the Marine Institute’s Socio-Economics team made significant strides in strengthening national capacity to deliver robust data and evidence in support of Marine Spatial Planning and the sustainable development of Ireland’s Blue Economy.  

 Empowering Sustainable Fisheries with Scientific Stock Assessments 

Through surveys, monitoring and sampling of fish catch throughout 2025, the Marine Institute provided objective stock status of critical marine fishing resources, using best available science. The stock assessment work carried out by the Institute enables the fishing industry to adapt strategies, optimise harvests and ensure long-term sustainability, securing a cornerstone of Ireland’s Blue Economy.  

 New investment of €12 million in Marine Research  

The Marine Institute’s competitive Marine Research Funding Programme invested a total of €12 million under new calls and awards in 2025. This was made up of €7 million in Project Awards and €5 million for Ship-Time Awards.  

Under the second Research for Policy Awards call, a total of €900,000 in funding was awarded to nine successful proposals identified by Government departments or agencies as policy topics or questions where a current knowledge gap could be addressed through accelerated research.  

 Research Vessel Fleet Reduces Carbon Emissions and Energy Usage  

The Marine Institute introduced several initiatives during 2025 to reduce energy and carbon emissions on Ireland’s marine research vessels, the RV Tom Crean and RV Celtic Explorer. One example is the increased use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil as a low carbon replacement fuel on the vessels, following a successful trial in 2024. In 2025, a combined reduction of 36% in carbon emissions was achieved across the two vessels, resulting in savings of 2,141 tons of CO₂. 

View the Marine Institute Annual Impact Report 2025.  

Image: Marine Institute

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