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Accessibility & LanguageNews & Events
The Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium is back!
The 14th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium will take place once again in the Porter Shed in Galway city on December 3rd 2024. This all day event will provide participants with an update on a wide range of policy topics related to the marine sector in Ireland and further afield. The theme of this year’s event is “Socio-economic evidence for marine planning”. Sessions on the day will focus on topics such as measuring the ocean economy, blue carbon ecosystem service valuation, offshore energy and the importance of community and stakeholder involvement in marine policy formation. Speakers from Ireland, Scotland, Norway, France, Portugal and South Korea, and from both academia and government authorities, will share their expertise so please join us for what promises to be a very interesting day.
Marine Protected Areas LIFE project launched
On Monday, 7 October 2024, Malcolm Noonan TD, the Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, officially launched a new €25 million LIFE project to protect, conserve and restore the biodiversity of Ireland’s marine ecosystems through the establishment of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs).
The EU Marine Protected Areas LIFE project is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and three research partners from the third-level sector. Three Universities will address various elements of this project: University College Dublin will focus on ecology and what the MPAs can achieve; University College Cork will consider the social side and stakeholders involved, and SEMRU in the School of Business and Economics at the University of Galway will examine the economic impacts on industry and communities.
In his address, Minister Noonan remarked, “this project will bring together local communities, environmental organisations, scientists and industry to plan and develop our Marine Protected Areas. It will focus on getting a balance between ecological protection and socio-economic development. Together, we can create a legacy of hope, resilience and recovery for our marine ecosystems, protecting it for generations to come.”
Pictured are Prof Tasman Crowe of UCD, Dr David Whyte of UCC, Joanne Kenny of Marine Environment, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Prof Stephen Hynes of University of Galway and Minister Malcolm Noonan TD, in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin for the launch of the EU MPA Life Project.
SEMRU participate in CSO Ecosystem Accounts Stakeholder Forum
SEMRU were delighted to participate in the CSO's Ecosystem Account's Stakeholder Forum at Bedford Hall, Dublin Castle on the 12th September 2024. This in-person event brought together national stakeholder agencies and national and international experts in ecosystem accounting to discuss the implementation of ecosystem accounting in Ireland.
Professor Stephen Hynes of SEMRU presented some of the Unit’s recent research on marine ecosystem service valuation for marine accounting while Darragh Corcoran, who is a Cullen PhD candidate working as part of a collaboration between SEMRU, the Marine Institute, and the Central Statistics Office presented his work to date on developing ocean extent accounts for Ireland.
Darragh Corcoran, Cullen PhD student, presenting some of his initial research at the CSO's Ecosystem Account's Stakeholder Forum.
SEMRU welcomes Dutch Ambassador to Campus
SEMRU were delighted to welcome Maaike van Koldam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ireland, to campus during her visit to Galway on Tuesday, 27 June 2024. Ambassador van Koldam was greeted by Vice President International, Prof Becky Whay before meeting colleagues in SEMRU. The Ambassador was interested to learn more about SEMRU’s leading role in blue economy research and its joint work with other marine research colleagues from across the campus. EU-funded projects were discussed, as well as SEMRU’s various linkages with Dutch universities.
Pictured: Dr Stephen Nash, Dr Brendan Flynn, Dr Anthony Grehan, Prof Thomas Van Rensburg, Dr Eugene Farrell; James Bradshaw, Politics & EU Officer at Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Prof Becky Whay, Vice President International; Maaike van Koldam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Prof Stephen Hynes, Director of SEMRU; Geraldine Doolan.
SEMRU at Marine Ecosystem Accounting Workshop
The Norwegian Institute for Water Research recently held their MAREA workshop, in Oslo, on June 11th 2024. The aim of the workshop was to exchange experience and knowledge on marine ecosystem accounting and its relevance to policy at varying spatial scales. Professor Stephen Hynes provided an overview of the work being jointly carried out in Ireland on marine ecosystem accounting by SEMRU, the Marine Institute and the Irish Central Statistics Office. The workshop also heard from the South Korea Marine Institute, the UK government, the University of Alberta and Statistics Norway; each discussing their own efforts at generating marine ecosystem service accounts. The analysis of ecosystem service values at a regional level was also a key theme of the event with papers presented from the MAREA project and its research in the Oslofjord.
Some of the MAREA workshop participants in Oslo. Prof Hynes of SEMRU, third from left.
Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) board members visit University of Galway
Members of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority board visited the University of Galway on June 26th 2024. The main purpose of the visit was for the Board to get a sense of the range of marine related research being carried out at the University of Galway and to gather some insights into the opportunities and challenges faced by marine researchers working in Irish waters. Prof Peter McHugh, Registrar and Vice President first formally welcomed the board to the campus while Prof Frances Fahy, Ryan Institute Director, provided a broad overview of marine research across the university. A number of other colleagues also gave short presentations, including Prof Stephen Hynes who provided an overview of the research focus of SEMRU and its relevance to the work of MARA.
Dr Liam Carr presents the Marine Spatial Planning board game to the MARA board.
Gender Survey for all workers in the EU Blue Economy
As part of the WIN-BIG project SEMRU has developed a survey to examine gender issues and empowering women across various ocean economy sectors. If you work in any marine related industry or agency we kindly ask you to participate in shaping the future of the blue economy by completing this survey. Your unique insights, experiences and perspectives are invaluable in gathering data on women's roles and contributions across different sectors of the Blue Economy and informing the EU's efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity in this vital sector.
It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey, and your contribution will have a lasting impact.
Click here to get started!
May 21, 2024
SEMRU PhD student wins Student Prize Competition at Environ2024
Geraldine Doolin won the Best Social Engagement Presentation Prize at Environ2024, the 34th Irish Environmental Researchers Colloquium Jointly hosted by the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI) and the South East Technological University Waterford, 25th-27th March 2024. The prize was sponsored by Environmental Services Ireland. The prize was awarded for her oral presentation “Assigning recreational value to a specific coastal ecosystem in a travel cost modelling context”. Read more here.
March 30, 2024
Economics students all at sea! 21st February 2024
The M. Global Environmental Economics students recently took part in the seagoing training that has been part of the Masters programme for over a decade. The field trip took place on Wednesday the 21st of February. Students and instructors are pictured below disembarking the national research vessel, the RV Tom Crean. The one day training focuses specifically on economic activities taking place in Cork Harbour and a hands-on examination of the methods by which marine scientists collect data that can be used by economists for bi-economic modelling, analysing the impacts of economic activities on the marine environment and valuation of marine ecosystem service benefits.
February 21, 2024
Ireland’s Ocean Economy Report published at SEMRU’s 13th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium
SEMRU in association with the Marine Institute has published an update on the performance of Ireland’s Ocean Economy. The 2023 Ocean Economy Report provides an update on Ireland’s ocean economy for 2022 across three main economic indicators: turnover, gross value added (GVA) and employment. The report estimates the annual trends across 13 sectors as well as an overview of direct and indirect impact of Ireland's ocean economy, and trends since 2010.
This year’s report is accompanied by an online dashboard to enable further dissemination of the data and also encourage further analysis and research. The report can be downloaded here while the ‘Ireland's Ocean Economy Dashboard’ can be accessed here.
The methodology used to value Ireland’s ocean economy was also presented by SEMRU and the Marine Institute at a recent workshop organised by the OECD as part of their ongoing work on ocean economy measurement, innovation and foresight. Discussions were held with the OECD and other International practitioners from Portugal, US, Korea and Norway on how best to measure the value arising from our oceans, and the challenges in incorporating spatial information, as well as the importance of the inclusion of non-market values to get a more holistic value of our blue economy and the ecosystem services it provides.
December 18, 2023
SEMRU Symposium
Symposium Agenda 2023
The 13th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium.
The day will provide participants with an update on a wide range of policy topics related to the marine sector in Ireland. The theme of this year’s event is “Collaborative Marine Policy and Governance”. Sessions on the day will focus on topics such as marine and coastal tourism, maritime spatial planning, marine and coastal environmental protection and the importance of community and stakeholder involvement in marine policy formation.
Ireland’s Ocean Economy Report
19 December 2022The Marine Institute in partnership with the University of Galway’s Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) has released the latest update on the performance of Ireland’s Ocean Economy. The report provides an update on Ireland’s ocean economy across three main economic indicators: turnover, gross value added (GVA) and employment, and provides an analysis of trends over the last five years. The full report can be downloaded here - Ireland's Ocean Economy Report 2022
Save the date! 12th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium
7 November 2022Save the date! The Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU), in partnership with the Marine Institute, will host the 12th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium at the Marine Institute, Oranmore. The event provides presentations on a wide range of policy topics related to the marine sector in Ireland and further afield.
Join us on the 6th of December 2022 by reserving a spot at this link!
SEMRU's postdocs participate in the Post-Doctoral Fellowships Symposium
26 October 2022
SEMRU’s Dr John Deely and Dr Daniel Cassidy with the other Marine Institute Post-doctoral fellows who participated in the Post-Doctoral Fellowships Symposium held at the Marine Institute in Oranmore, Galway on the 25th of October.
12th Annual Marine Economics and Policy Research Symposium
17 October 2022.png)
SEMRU representing Ireland at Arctic Circle Assembly
17 October 2022Ireland is a near-Arctic Island nation located in the North Atlantic and the changes taking place in the Arctic impact directly on us. Today’s Arctic agenda covers a range of issues important to Ireland’s national interests, including climate change; law of the sea; energy exploration; new Arctic shipping routes; fish and aquaculture; marine conservation; search and rescue; preservation of minority/indigenous languages and cultures; peripheral communities; and sustainable development. As a globally aware state Ireland wishes to play a constructive role in the Arctic because of the significance of the Arctic region globally and the increasingly adverse impact climate change is having on the Earth’s oceans and environment. With that in mind, the Department of Foreign Affairs hosted Ireland’s first ever panel discussion at the Arctic Circle Assembly which took place in Reykjavik from the 13th to the 15th of October 2022. The session highlighted existing and emerging Irish expertise in addressing these Arctic Challenges.
The coordination of research efforts on a regional, national, and international scale is becoming increasingly urgent in order to address the emerging environmental and societal pressures on the Arctic region, which have global significance and impacts. Ireland is determined to facilitate collaboration, sharing, and coordination of scientific, technological, and socio-economical expertise linked to the Arctic and thereby contribute to solving these challenges. Specifically, the Irish session at the Arctic Circle Assembly focused on (1) Ireland’s growing scientific expertise in Arctic marine and terrestrial environments, (2) Ireland’s strength in leading technological innovation in search and rescue operations and (3) Ireland’s leadership in socio-economic research relevant to Arctic inhabitants and Indigenous Peoples. During the session, short presentations highlighted how Irish expertise is relevant to Arctic regions and communities. This was followed by a panel discussion where the speakers took questions from the audience. University of Galway’s Dr Audrey Morley and Prof Stephen Hynes were two of the panel members at this historical event.
Representing Ireland at the event were (l to R) Claire Thompson - Department of Foreign Affairs, Stephen Hynes - University of Galway, John Connolly - Trinity College, Audrey Morley - University of Galway, Kevin Fitzgibbon - Munster Technological University, Tom Barry - University of Akureyri and Olive Hempenstall - Department of Foreign Affairs
Discussion on the socio-economic aspects of the artisanal fisheries and aquaculture, challenges and opportunities for sustainable policies
20 September 2022On July 18th 2022, Prof Stephen Hynes of SEMRU, Whitaker Institute was part of a panel discussion at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission Policy Day held in Vigo, Spain. The event was held in collaboration with the 20th Biennial IIFET conference. The theme of the Policy Day was “Socio-economic aspects of the artisanal fisheries and aquaculture, challenges and opportunities for sustainable policies”. Prof Hynes was invited by the Commission to be part of a high-level panel discussing “Challenges and opportunities for sustainable policies in artisanal fisheries and aquaculture”. The other panel members were Ernesto Penas, former director at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, Amber Himes Cornell of the UN Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (UN FAO) and Will Symes of the OECD Fisheries Committee Secretariat. Angel Calvo, Deputy Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, moderated the session.
Ireland's Ocean Economy Survey 2022
23 June 2022The Marine Institute and SEMRU at NUI Galway, are conducting a survey of marine and marine-related businesses as part of the regular reporting on Ireland's Ocean Economy. Although the CSO and other State organisations provide some data on marine related economic activity, there is a need to supplement this data with company surveys across a number of sectors (advanced marine technology products and services, offshore renewable energy, marine commerce and legal services, marine manufacturing, construction and engineering).
Previous ocean economy reports are available on the reports section of our website. The survey will be open over the months of June and July with the results published later this year. The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OceanEconomy2022Offshore.
In addition to general economic figures collected, this year's survey includes a section on the impact of COVID-19 and other external factors affecting marine businesses.
If you have any queries, please contact Marie-Christin.Lanser@Marine.ie or stephen.hynes@nuigalway.ie
Oyster reefs and nature-based solutions to coastal damage
4 May 2022An article based on research by Prof. Stephen Hynes has been recently published by Afloat. The article highlights the findings of a study on the costs and benefits of natural-based solutions versus grey infrastructures to protect coastal amenities from climate change-related events. The study was based on the Rinville coastal trail (Co. Galway) that is subject to coastal flooding. By analysing the recreational value of the coastal trail and the costs of green and grey infrastructures, the research found that oyster reefs, as a nature-based solution, are cost-effective and provide additional benefits in terms of biodiversity and marine habitat restoration. The Afloat article can be seen here and the journal paper that the article is passed on can be downloaded here.
Four new Whitaker Institute Policy Briefs from SEMRU
31 March 2022Four Whitaker Institute Policy Briefs from the SEMRU team have been issued in the past month. The papers highlight the recent research outputs from the unit. Policy Brief no 92 discusses findings from a recent study that examined public preferences for the development of offshore wind farms incorporating electricity trade. Policy Brief no 93 reviewed a recent paper that looks at the role of economic valuation and appraisal in marine policy making. Policy Brief no 94 summarizes the results from a regional assessment of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on the distribution of employment in the Irish ocean economy while Policy Brief no 94 reviews the findings from a recent study that examined the costs and benefits of protecting a coastal amenity from climate change-related hazards. More information on each policy brief can be found under the Policy Briefs section on the SEMRU Publication web pages.
SEMRU co-edit special journal issue focused on the evolution of the ocean economy research agenda
28 February 2022A special issue of The Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics that featured eleven papers drawn from the International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts hosted by the Whitaker Institute last year has been launched. Prof Stephen Hynes of the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU), Whitaker Institute and Prof Charles Colgan of the Center for the Blue Economy, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California were co-editors of the special issue. The symposium was held on the 24th and 25th of March 2021. In line with the presentations at the symposium the papers in the special issue cover the current status of defining the ocean economy within national accounts, the expansion of ocean accounting to include environmental economic values, and methodological tools to assist the integration. The introductory paper to the special issue, authored by the co-editors “From Monterey to Galway: Evolution of the Oceans in National Income Accounts” reviews the evolution of thinking on ocean economy and environment accounting since the first symposium held back in 2015 and also provides an overview of the selected eleven papers.
The symposium was supported with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the EU Interreg Atlantic Area Programme via the SEMRU led MOSES project (EAPA_224/2016). The special issue is available to download here: Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics, Volume 8, Issue 2 while the presentations from the Fifth International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts are available watch here.
Registration is open! – The 5th International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts
22 February 2021The MOSES project will host an international symposium on the oceans in national income accounts on the 24th and 25th of March 2021
As well as showcasing the work of MOSES the 2 day symposium will involve representatives from government, industry, academia and international organisations sharing their national and international perspectives on progress made in measuring the ocean economy. They will discuss ways in which international ocean economy statistics can be improved through satellite and natural capital accounting approaches as well as examining how the usage of such information by policy makers can be improved.
Topics to be discussed at the symposium include:
- The big challenges – Why we need improved ocean economy statistics
- Revised national standards for ocean and related industry classification
- Satellite accounting of ocean economic activities
- Tools for improved usage of ocean economy statistics
- Pathways to a sustainable ocean economy
- Developing marine ecosystem income accounts
- Issues for inclusion of marine ecosystem service benefit values in ocean accounts
To view the full event schedule, click here.
More information on the event can be found at www.mosesproject.eu
To register for the event click here.
Save the Date – The 5th International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts
6 January 2021The MOSES project consortium are delighted to host the symposium on the 24th and 25th of March 2021 as part of its final Congress.
The measurement of the economic values of the ocean within national income accounting frameworks has received increasing policy attention in recent years. Researchers and governments in a number of countries across the globe have undertaken a variety of efforts to develop methodologically consistent approaches to measuring the contributions of oceans to national income across time and space. More recently a number of international agencies have been going beyond measuring the direct output and employment values of the ocean-related industries by generating ocean economy satellite accounts that capture additional activity that cannot be easily identified in published data and provide insights into the contribution of the ocean economy to non-ocean sectors
The impact of the current and potential human activities on marine and coastal ecosystem are also a key determinant of the ocean´s health and of the derived societal benefits through the outputs of the ocean economy industries and the continued delivery of marine ecosystem services. With this in mind, initiatives such as the EU INTERREG Atlantic Area MOSES project have been examining the ‘blue’ growth pathways for the sustainable development of the major ocean economy industries and developing indicators and tools to monitor the progress toward these sustainable growth paths.
Since the first Symposium hosted by the Centre for the Blue Economy (CBE) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, USA, in October 2015 this event has provided a crucial platform to develop the methods by which international organisations measure and monitor ocean economic activity. This, the 5th Symposium in the series will involve representatives from government, industry, academia and international organisations sharing their national and international perspectives on progress made in measuring the ocean economy. They will discuss ways in which international ocean economy statistics can be improved through satellite and natural capital accounting approaches as well as examining how the usage of such information by policymakers can be improved.
Due to ongoing Covid-19 constraints, the event will be online. Further information on the agenda and registration will be available shortly.
Topics to be discussed at the symposium include:
- The big challenges – Why we need improved ocean economy statistics
- Revised national standards for ocean and related industry classification
- Satellite accounting of ocean economic activities
- Tools for improved usage of ocean economy statistics
- Pathways to a sustainable ocean economy
- Developing marine ecosystem income accounts
- Issues for inclusion of marine ecosystem service benefit values in ocean accounts
SEMRU launches a new report valuing domestic coastal and marine tourism and leisure activities in the Republic of Ireland, 18th MAY 2020
18 May 2020
SEMRU has released a report that presents estimates of the value of domestic coastal and marine tourism and leisure activities in the Republic of Ireland. This current report is a compliment to the overseas marine tourism report launched by SEMRU last September. For the current report SEMRU carried out a household survey of domestic residents in 2019, funded by the Marine Institute through its Marine Research Programme. The purpose of the survey was to examine participation rates amongst domestic residents in a variety of marine activities; to examine where Irish residents go for overnight coastal visits and to provide estimates of domestic coastal and marine tourism expenditures for the reference year 2018. The full report is available to download at the following link: A survey of domestic coastal and marine tourism an leisure activities in Ireland. For more information, please contact stephen.hynes@nuigalway.ie.
The 4th International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts, Qingdao, China, October 26-27, 2019
29 October 2019Stephen Hynes participated in the 4th International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts. The theme of this year’s event was “Challenges and Measurements to Evaluate Marine Economy”. The symposium was held in Qingdao, China, from October 26th to 27th, 2019 and was hosted by the National Maritime Data and Information Service of China and the Ocean University of China The purpose of this annual symposium is to explore how nations around the world are incorporating the economic value of the ocean into national income accounts. The symposium examines current issues in the measurement of ocean economic values, explores how economic uses of the oceans are rapidly changing, and how an understanding of the ocean’s contribution to national income can help sustain ocean resources and ecosystems. Stephen discussed challenges to measuring marine tourism in ocean economy accounts and presented research on measuring the value and contribution of marine and coastal tourism.
Pictured: Stephen Hynes with delegates from the National Marine Data and Information Service of China, Yang Yi, Rui Zhao, Xiang Wenxi, Wang Xiaohui, and Song Weiling at the 4th International Symposium on the Oceans in National Income Accounts.
Rising to the Challenge, July 2020
15 July 2020Researchers at the Whitaker Institute have responded to the COVID-19 crisis with innovative research projects and impactful contributions to the national effort to respond to the pandemic. As part of this drive, SEMRU have been looking at major global economic developments that will have the greatest impact on the performance of Ireland’s ocean economy industries in the near- and medium-term, including the COVID crisis. The research explores the case for increased public and private investment in ocean economy industries, with the COVID crisis posing both challenges and opportunities for Ireland’s ocean economy. Prof. Alan Ahearne and Dr. Stephen Hynes presented preliminary findings from their research to the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordination Group (MCG) convened by the Department of the Taoiseach on 11th June 2020. For more information, please follow the link below:
