The Irish Ocean Literacy Network was delighted to host its first online members meeting of 2020 on the 15.7.20 through ZOOM. With over 40 members in attendance, participants heard from a range of key note speakers plus flash presentations from a number of the IOLN members. We would like to thank everyone who joined us at this meeting and look forward to seeing you all online again soon.
A selection of the talks and presentations can be seen below, thank you to all the members for sharing their stories, expertise, knowledge and passion for Our Ocean. #WeAreIslanders
Keynote Speaker 1: Andrea-Anne Marsan from EU4 Ocean
Looking at the IOLN’s role in the new EU4Ocean platform (With Andrea-Anne Marsan from EU4Ocean).
The EU4Ocean Platform is the hub for organisations and initiatives to connect, collaborate and mobilise efforts on ocean literacy. 76 founding members spanning the areas of marine research, science-policy, blue economy industry and the private sector, civil society, arts, education, youth and media are taking part in the Platform and are working together to advance ocean literacy. By joining the EU4Ocean platform, members can share ideas, build partnerships and collaborate to ensure a more coordinated approach to ocean literary activities in Europe. The Platform members will be mobilised around three Working Groups (WGs) themes: Climate and Ocean, Food from the Ocean and Healthy and Clean Ocean. It is an inclusive network of stakeholders willing to be actively engaged in connecting existing ocean literacy activities in Europe and shaping future actions. Stay tuned for the EU4Ocean Platform official launch on the 24-25 September 2020 to co-design effective Ocean Literacy initiatives with us! Contact to express interest and ideas: info@eu4ocean-platform
Apply for EU4Ocean Platform membership: www.eu-oceanliteracy.eu
The #EU4Ocean Coalition is launching the #YoungOceanWaves contest: What the ocean means to me. Competition details:https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/maritimeforum/en/node/4736
Keynote Speakers 2,3 & 4: Michelle O’ Neill, Sinead Mellet & Niamh Barry.
Sustainable Seafood from Net to Plate, The Ocean inspires us – Looking at using sustainable seafood from source to plate
Michelle O’ Neill Director at Kingfisher Fresh Ltd.
Kingfisher Fresh Ltd. seafood supply company located on the outskirts of Wexford town in the South East of Ireland. They work with Ireland’s finest fishermen, to source sustainable fresh wild seafood from deep in the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. They supply only the best fish mongers and restaurants both locally and nationwide. And they export to the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, and Netherlands. Accessing the direct ferry link to the UK and mainland Europe via Rosslare Port.
Sinead Mellet – Neptunus Project, Athlone Institute of Technology
Sinead Mellett is a post-doctoral research scientist from the Bioscience Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology. Sinead is currently working on the Interreg NEPTUNUS project. The Neptunus project is an Interreg Atlantic Area project funded by the European Regional Development Fund aims to promote the sustainable development of the seafood sector in the European Atlantic Area. It uses an international clustering concept (nexus approach) to review, examine and harness eco-labelling and eco-innovations that can increase the sustainability of, and economic opportunity for seafood production in the Atlantic region. For more details please visit our webpage http://bri.ait.ie/research-areas/neptunus/
Contact: smellet@ait.ie
Niamh Barry, Senior Chef de Partie from Ashford Castle.
Niamh Barry is a Senior Chef de Partie in the Pastry section at Ashford Castle. She has worked in restaurants across Ireland including the Richmond in Dublin, and Lady Helen Restaurant in Mount Juliet Co. Kilkenny. She won the Rising Chef of the Year in Ireland’s Gold Medal Awards in 2017 and has over 900 followers on her food inspired Instagram account @niamh_squeeze . Niamh will discuss the role of chefs in sourcing sustainable seafood and the use of seaweed in Innovative and traditional cooking in the kitchen.
Keynote Speaker 5: Joanne Sweeney
Public Sector Marketing Institute
Joanne Sweeney is a two-time author, founder of Public Sector Marketing Institute and host of Ireland’s only Public Sector Digital Marketing Summit. Specialising in digital communications for government and public sector agencies, Joanne’s books are used by police forces, universities and public sector bodies across the world to instruct them how to communicate in the Digital Age.
IOLN Members Flash Presentations
Kathryn Schoenrock- Rossiter: Kathryn is a postdoc researcher from NUIG working on the AQUATAP-ES Project: Integration of the ecosystem services approach into policy & practice is key for the sustainable management of aquatic resources.
Kathryn asked members to help by completing her short survey which can be found at : https://irishoceanliteracy.ie/aquatap-es-understanding-how-the-ecosystem-services-concept-is-considered-in-decision-making/
Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @katesrock or view an article written by Kathryn kelp forests in the Winter edition of Ocean Focus (formerly Inshore Ireland) : https://oceanfocus.ie/inshore-ireland-15-4-winter-2019/
Stay tuned for a second article by Kathryn in the second ePub (Summer 2020) which will be available online within a week ‘Antarctic seaweeds: forests on the world’s coldest continent’.
Gavin Duffy – Managing Director from RealSIM Ltd, spoke about developments in visualising marine environments. More news on this project will be coming soon. You can contact Gavin at gavin@realsim.ie
Ruth Minogue – Environmental Consultant leading the Marine Institute ‘Seascapes’ Project
The Marine Institute invites you to complete an online survey. The survey responses will help identify, classify and describe Ireland’s seascape character, and support the implementation of Ireland’s National Marine Planning Framework.
Information on Seascapes here: https://www.marine.ie/Home/site-area/news-vents/news/deep-dive-ireland%E2%80%99s-seascapes
Survey link: http://map-me.org/sites/seascapes.
Contact Ruth: ruth@minogue.ie
Thomas Mc Cloughlin. Water Institute, Dublin City University
Science in the Community Project from the Water Institute in Dublin City University, looking at biological, physical and chemical composition of the feed water in the estuaries of Fingal, Co. Dublin.
Karin Dubsky -Coastwatch.
Participate in Coastwatch Citizens Science Projects, more information on these projects coming soon.
For more information about joining the Irish Ocean Literacy Network contact:
- Email: irishoceanliteracynetwork@gmail.com
- Twitter: @IOLN Network
- Facebook: Irish Ocean Literacy Network Group
- LinkedIn: Irish Ocean Literacy Closed Group