Abstract
AQUAFACT International Services Ltd. was commissioned by the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre, University College Cork to carry out a marine environmental appraisal of an ocean energy test site in Inner Galway Bay. Figure 1 shows the location of this site. This site has been used to test a wave energy device known as the Ocean Energy Buoy (Figures 2 and 3) since 2006.
This environmental appraisal involved grab sampling five sites within the test site and one control site, approximately 650m south of the test site. Two replicate faunal grab samples were taken at each site in addition to a sediment s ample. SCUBA diving was also used to collect sediment profile images and still photography of the sea bed. The report was also to include a desk survey of marine reptiles, mammals and birds that occur in the area and any possible impacts that might arise given the presence of the buoy.