Galway Bay goes under the radar

People the world over have waxed lyrical about watching the sun go down on Galway Bay. Now scientists have come up with a state-of-the-art system to view the famous bay in a new perspective.
Researchers from the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway have deployed a sophisticated coastal radar system in Galway Bay, which transmits maps of the surface currents and provides details of the height and direction of waves from the shoreline directly to the institute.
The cutting edge technology has many potential uses for research and for the local community and this is the first time it is being used in North Atlantic European waters.
The Modelling and Informatics Group in the Ryan Institute, led by Dr Mike Hartnett, develops models to forecast marine conditions such as tidal currents, storm surges and wave heights. The group are currently carrying out research, in collaboration with IBM Smarter Cities Technology Centre, Dublin, to improve model forecasts using the radar data and meteorological data.
“We are using data from the radars to improve model forecasts in ways previously not possible. It is relatively difficult to develop an accurate marine forecast model for Galway Bay, as water movement within the bay is mainly due to wind, while the patterns of incoming tides are complicated due to the flow of water around the Aran Islands. Data from the radar is helping us to overcome some of those challenges,” said Dr Hartnett.
The radar system will also benefit the local community around the shores of Galway Bay. When the research is completed, all of the radar maps of surface currents, along with model forecasts will be made available freely online to the public through the Galway Bay Coastal Observing System (GalCOS). This information can then be used by sailors, fishermen and tourists alike. It will also be of use to local authorities and others who discharge effluent into the bay, by helping them to decide on the best time to release effluent and minimise environmental consequences.
The research will be of considerable benefit to the search and rescue activities of the Irish Coast Guard. There are also plans to produce high-resolution maps of Galway Bay on CD, which will be of particular benefit to sailors as reference material and will provide significantly improved knowledge of tidal and wind induced currents. 
“This sophisticated new sensing infrastructure will produce vast amounts of data requiring continuous analysis and assimilation with other data to improve our ability to understand and forecast conditions in the bay,” said Dr Lisa Amini, Director, Smarter Cities Technology Centre.
Previously, the NUI Galway Group have worked in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive West applying models to assist with managing the retention of the Blue Flag beach status at Salthill. The new radar system can now contribute significantly to the environmental management and protection of Galway Bay and assisting with compliance of EU Directives, such as the Water Framework Directive.
In the future, it is planned that the radar system will be moved and used to map most of the major bays and estuaries around Ireland. This research will result in the most detailed charts of surface currents every developed for Irish waters. In the longer term, results from the system will be used to assess trends of climate change in Irish coastal waters.”
The radar system has been funded by Higher Education Authority under Cycle IV of its Programme for Research in Third Level Institutes.