Mayo's Marine Institute hosts huge crowd for Open Day

Over 600 people visited the Marine Institute's Newport Research Facility to explore the wide array of research activities taking place at the site, which includes genetics work across several species of salmon, sea trout, sea bass, pollock and bluefin tuna.

Marine Institute scientists were on hand to explain both the research as well as the basking shark and Bluefin tuna tagging programmes.

In addition to the public Open Day on Sunday, April 27, the Marine Institute welcomed seven schools and over 180 primary school children and teachers for tours of the facility.

Children also took part in hands-on workshops exploring oceanography, marine litter, plastic pollution, and creatures from the deep sea. Visitors could also see fish species up-close, that were collected during marine surveys aboard the RV Celtic Explorer and the RV Tom Crean.

Dr Rick Officer, CEO of the Marine Institute, said: “We are delighted to have opened our doors to the public and to local schools and have over 600 people visit our Newport Research Facility. A range of scientific research is undertaken at this site, and it was fantastic to share that work with the wider community. Thanks to our staff for their contribution to make our  Open Day such a success.”

The Marine Institute’s Newport Facility has been in operation since 1955 and includes laboratories, a freshwater hatchery, fish rearing facilities, fish census trapping stations, and a monitored freshwater lake and river catchment.