Through the on-going marine planning process, the Irish Government identified that the sustainability of seaweed natural resources underpins the licensing regime for seaweed harvesting. The aim of this project was to develop a better understanding of the Irish seaweed resource around the Irish coastline, which will contribute to a biomass assessment for certain types of seaweed.
Ascophyllum Nodosum is the primary species harvested. It grows on rocky surfaces near the seashore and is harvested by hand at low tide. Small amounts of other species are also harvested.
1. A scalable survey methodology for seaweed resource assessment;
2. Completed hyperspectral and acoustic studies of seaweed resource;
3.Completed multi-site biological sampling and identification of seaweed resource;
4. Broadscale site specific seaweed species & coverage distribution;
5. Spatial data products and maps demonstrating the seaweed resource in Ireland.