Biogeoscience Research Group

General Research Area

The Biogeoscience Research Group is concerned with understanding the seabed offshore Ireland, investigating groundwater-seawater interactions in the coastal zone and metals in the Irish environment.

Disciplines

geophysics, hydrogeology, sedimentology, oceanography, marine biology, numerical modeling, and aqueous metal geochemistry

Group Members

Colin Brown, Rachel Cave, Eve Daly, Garret Duffy, Anthony Grehan, Tiernan Henry, Klaus Leurer, Liam Morrison, Barbara Petrunic, Martin White and Mike Williams (all from Earth and Ocean Science, NUI Galway)

Brief description of current projects

A. Grehan & C. Brown use remotely operated vehicles, high-resolution multibeam acoustic and optical data to understand seabed properties and, along with ship-borne acoustic data from the INSS and INFOMAR, predict benthic habitats for key species.

T. Henry, R. Cave, & E. Daly are using hydrogeology and geophysics to quantify groundwater-seawater interactions in the coastal karst systems in Co. Galway and Co. Clare.

K. Leurer & C. Brown are concerned with the development of theory and computational tools to interpret the multibeam acoustic backscatter and seismic reflection data acquired by the GSI and Marine Institute in the INSS and INFOMAR.

M. White is acquiring physical oceanographic data that are used, along with high-resolution INSS and INFOMAR bathymetry, to model deep ocean and inshore currents and their effects on ecosystem functioning.

G. Duffy & M. White use instrumented landers to better understand the sedimentary processes that initiate and maintain bedforms, in particular, Rippled Scour Depressions, in Galway Bay. 

J. Murray, M. Williams, A. Grehan, G. Duffy & M. White are undertaking a geological and geophysical description of the Arc Mounds, southwest Porcupine Bank. 

L. Morrison & B. Petrunic are studying naturally elevated levels of arsenic and metals in the Irish environment, which includes the investigation of metal concentrations and speciation in groundwater, surface water, marine water, sediments and biota.