The Government has signed up to a multi-million euro network of underwater observatories which will track environmental changes in the Atlantic.
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, told the international Eurocean conference in Galway yesterday that he had authorised the Marine Institute to work with the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and Met Éireann.
Ireland will become the first "hub" in a network of of sub-sea cables and underwater observatories extending throughout European sea bed areas. Dubbed "Celtnet", this first stage will extend from the Irish south-west coast to the Porcupine Bank and will be funded principally by the EU, but with contributions from host states.
"Celtnet" will be one of 10 cable networks stretching from the Arctic to the Black Sea, according to Prof Monty Priede of the University of Aberdeen who has been leading the feasibility study of the venture. Some information is collected by satellite, but satellite penetration is limited to a few metres below the sea surface, Prof Priede said.
"Platforms placed on the sea floor and linked to cables will be able to provide information in terms of water flow and temperature, and will host acoustic sensors to monitor marine life and optical sensors to measure plankton levels."
Originally it had been proposed that old transatlantic telephone cables could be used by scientists in the project, but, he said, the intention was to use new cables where possible.
"These cables will be out of reach of shipping and bad weather hazards, as they will be on the sea floor, and we will also install some instrumentation on special ecosystems such as coral mounds at the edge of the Porcupine sea bight."
An international committee to spearhead the project was formed this week at the Eurocean conference in Galway which was hosted by the Marine Institute and the European Science Foundation and was attended by more than 500 scientists and policymakers from across Europe and the US.
The Minister noted that a study carried out before enlargement had put the value of the European marine sector at €159 billion in annual turnover, representing €70 billion in value-added activities.
The Eurocean conference concluded yesterday with the Galway Declaration, which reaffirms the role of oceans in climate, carbon cycle and life on Earth.