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Ireland’s national underwater observing facility
The SmartBay Observatory delivers continuous, real-time data and live video from the seabed in Galway Bay. It supports research, innovation, and public understanding of the marine environment.
Cabled underwater observatory
- temperature, salinity, and currents
- dissolved oxygen and water quality
- chlorophyll, turbidity, and acoustic signals
Real-time monitoring
- continuous environmental data
- live underwater video
- reliable two-way communications from seabed to shore
SmartBay and EMSO
SmartBay forms part of EMSO (European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water-column Observatory), a distributed European research infrastructure.
EMSO connects observatories across European seas. It monitors physical, chemical, and biological processes and supports research into climate, ecosystems, and ocean hazards. Learn more about what EMSO is.
SmartBay contributes a physical access programme, continuous seabed observations, live data streams and imaging, and a node within Europe’s wider ocean-observation network.
Virtual tour
- the observatory location and layout
- sensor systems and connections
- how data is collected and transmitted
Access the observatory
- marine technicians and offshore support
- operational management
- data support
- device deployment and recovery
- dive services and vessel access
- electrical power for connected devices
Past supported research projects
Researchers have used SmartBay for work in biology, chemistry, physical oceanography, and marine technology.
SEABER YUCO-CTD deployment
French company SEABER, supported by JERICO-S3, tested a micro Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. It collected coastal oceanographic data for validation against SmartBay observatory sensors.
Artificial intelligence and fibre-optic sensing
The UK’s National Oceanography Centre accessed SmartBay through JERICO-S3 to demonstrate how fibre-optic cable and AI can record data on marine processes unobtrusively.
Insight
A Dublin City University team used SmartBay video recordings for its Understanding Underwater Video Content research, funded through the Marine Institute’s National Infrastructure Access Programme.
Infrastructure access and collaboration
Contact the team if you are interested in accessing SmartBay infrastructure or exploring a research collaboration.