Marine Institute marks 70 years of global impact at Mayo research facility
THE Marine Institute is celebrating seven decades of its Newport research facility in Burrishoole - one of Ireland's longest running and remarkable scientific research stations.
Nestled between Lough Feeagh and Lough Furnace in the shadow of the Nephin Beg range, the Mayo facility was originally established as the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland in 1955, under the patronage of Sir Hugh Beaver of Guinness in partnership with the Department of Lands. Over seven decades, generations of scientists have since built a body of knowledge and expertise that influences EU fishery quotas and management plans, informs climate policy, and supports the restoration of Ireland's natural environment.
"The Newport research facility is one of Ireland's great scientific centres. Its global reputation is built not only on the uniqueness of the long-term datasets it has produced, but on the generations of leading scientists and staff it has developed, and who have dedicated their careers to this place," says Dr. Rick Officer, CEO of the Marine Institute.
Dr. Ciaran Kelly, Director of Fisheries and Ecosystems Advisory Services, commented: "Newport’s legacy of unbroken biological and environmental data is globally unique. As we look ahead, we are leveraging this incredible foundation to pioneer aquaculture research and innovation and lead vital work in nature restoration.”
Dr. Russell Poole, Section Manager at the Newport Research Facility, added: “Research carried out here over 70 years has fundamentally shaped fisheries management, aquaculture development, and our response to climate change, as well as the protection of some of Ireland's most vulnerable species. We are enormously proud of this legacy and committed to ensuring Newport continues to deliver critical science for decades to come.”
At the heart of the Newport research facility is its internationally recognised fish monitoring system. The Salmon Leap Trap and Mill Race Trap enable the continuous monitoring of fish moving both upstream and downstream, facilitating a complete census of wild and ranched salmon, sea trout, and eels continuously since 1970. The third element, the Shrarevagh River Trap, allows scientists to isolate a portion of the upper catchment for detailed studies of juvenile fish production and fish genetics.
Long-term datasets of this kind are exceptionally rare and extremely valuable. What makes Newport's record especially significant is the combination of biological and environmental data collected together, continuously, across the rivers and lakes of the catchment. This unbroken fish census record is one of only a handful of such records in the world.
These data underpin decades of research into salmon, sea trout and eel populations, explaining how these species evolve over time, and how wild fish stocks respond to the impacts of climate and human activity.
Scientists from Newport have participated in both national and international stock assessments since the 1970s and continue to do so in the scientific working groups of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
ADVANCING RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION
The Marine Institute operates a comprehensive suite of freshwater fish rearing facilities at Newport, including a recently installed Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS). This system allows for the rearing of fish under controlled conditions. These facilities have supported a wide range of aquaculture research and development projects.
Central to this work is the salmon ranching programme, where micro-tagged smolts are released and later tracked on their return as adults. Smolts mostly derived from Burrishoole grilse have been released since 1956, with line-bred ranched stock established from 1964.
Decades of genetic monitoring show that even locally sourced ranched salmon become genetically distinct over time, with reduced diversity and lower marine survival, demonstrating that stocking rivers with ranched fish is not a sustainable long-term solution for declining wild populations.
Newport’s fisheries research portfolio also includes state-of-the-art tools and expertise in telemetry and genetics, unlocking new and exciting insights into behaviour, productivity and resilience of our fish stocks and ecosystems, and adding considerable value to both the scientific advice and the research outputs. Bluefin TUNA, BASKING SHARK, SKATES AND Rays are just a few of the large marine species that are currently been tracked.
VITAL RECORD OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The Newport facility's contribution to science extends well beyond fisheries. It’s weather station, established in partnership with Met Éireann in the late 1950s, a more recent automatic station established in 2008, and a continuous lake surface temperature record for Lough Feeagh, together form one of the longest-running continuous records of lake temperature in the world. This dataset now provides vital evidence of the impacts of a warming climate on freshwater ecosystems.
Today, the Marine Institute operates a network of high-frequency monitoring systems across the Burrishoole catchment, capturing data on carbon cycling, lake metabolism, and the impacts of extreme weather events including storms, heatwaves, and droughts.
Since 2025, a newly installed state-of-the-art monitoring buoy at Lough Furnace forms part of the Marine Institute's national Sentinel Site network. Funded under the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), and continuously measuring physical, chemical, and biological ocean indicators, this sentinel system provides crucial long-term evidence for climate action and marine policy.
RESTORING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Long-term ecological research and monitoring at Newport have not only advanced scientific understanding, they have also guided practical conservation action.
Marine Institute data showing salmon returning earlier, smaller, and in fewer numbers helped to inform the decision to transfer 4,800 hectares of conifer plantation in the Burrishoole headwaters to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2021, incorporating it into the Wild Nephin National Park. Catchment restoration is now underway, aiming to reverse decades of damage caused by overgrazing, commercial forestry, and the invasion of rhododendron.
The facility is also at the forefront of efforts to protect Ireland's freshwater pearl mussel - Ireland's longest-living but critically endangered animal. Since 2020, a joint Marine Institute and National Parks and Wildlife Service breeding programme has been based at Newport.
In spring 2025, the programme achieved significant success with scientists successfully breeding juvenile freshwater pearl mussels in captivity. This is a major milestone in efforts to save the species from extinction.
Alongside its scientific research, the facility plays an important role in education, outreach and collaboration. The facility regularly hosts open days and school visits, supports international research partnerships, and runs a bursary programme supporting early-career scientists, ensuring that the skills and knowledge built over seven decades continue to inspire and inform the next generation of Irish marine scientists.