The Marine Institute invites you to share your views on Irish Seascapes

The people of Ireland are being invited to share their views on Irish coastal seascapes. Seascapes around the coast of Ireland are an important part of our sense of identity and culture. Our experience of the character of Seascapes includes coastal and marine history, folklore, art, nature and recreational and commercial activities that take place on and close to the sea.

The public feedback gathered will inform Ireland’s Seascape Character Assessment Report, a key technical study for Ireland’s National Marine Planning Framework.

Following a European Marine Fisheries Fund project to define the importance of our coastal seascape characteristics, a Seascape Character Assessment for Ireland has now been developed for the first time. Prepared on a regional basis, the Assessment has been drafted to define the names, boundaries and key characteristics of our coastal seascapes.

The Marine Institute would now like to invite the people of Ireland to share their views and comments on the draft Assessment. The Draft Assessment is available to download at https://emff.marine.ie/blue-growth/project-13-definition-and-classification-ireland%E2%80%99s-seascapes and feedback can be submitted via the online survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QSWBVYX

The Survey is open from Wednesday 7th October to Friday 30th October.

Caitríona Nic Aonghusa, Manager of Marine Spatial Planning at the Marine Institute said “Ireland’s 7,711 kilometres of coastline includes rocky escarpments, sandy beaches and sheltered bays.

Seascapes are very much about the relationship between people and place and how humans have settled and interacted in and along our coastline – from the earliest inhabitants on this island right up to today.

By identifying, classifying and describing our seascape character in a holistic way, we can provide a baseline to better inform the planning and management of our seascapes.”

In addition to the public survey, a series of online workshops will be held for those interested in discussing further the draft Seascape Character Assessment on Monday, 12th October from 2pm – 3pm, and Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th October from 8pm – 9pm. To attend an online workshop, email ruth@minogue.ie

This project has been financed by the Irish Government and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020, Blue Growth & Marine Spatial Planning Scheme.

Celebrate Ireland’s seascapes on International Landscape Day Tuesday, 20th October 2020

To celebrate and raise awareness of International Landscape Day on Tuesday 20th October, the Marine Institute is also encouraging people across the island of Ireland to share photographs of seascapes on social media.

On 20th October post your photos of Ireland’s seascapes on social media with #IrishSeascapes and tag the Marine Institute on Twitter (@MarineInst), or Facebook (@MarineInstituteIreland).