Hidden landscapes: the mapping of Ireland’s shelf geomorphology

The Marine Geoscience Research Group at University College Cork, under the aegis of the Irish Marine Institute, has published the first high-resolution geomorphological map of most of the Irish continental shelf: the Irish Shelf Seabed Geomorphology Map (ISSGM v2023). This colossal mapping exercise took advantage of the vast INFOMAR multibeam echosounder dataset and used a protocol of semi-automated mapping techniques to accurately and rapidly extract seabed features. The map is an important digital reference for policymakers, marine industries (e.g. offshore renewables, fisheries and aquaculture) and future marine scientists.