Sensitive Ecosystem Assessment and ROV Exploration of Reef - SeaRover

The SeaRover project (Sensitive Ecosystem Assessment and ROV Exploration of Reef) was a three year survey of Irelands deep-sea to establish the abundance and distribution of sensitive species and habitat types. Over 152 ROV dives were carried out, between 2017 and 2019, more than 300 hundred hours of video was captured of the seafloor. This extensive dataset includes: video files; transect map; date, time and position of biological and geomorphological observations per dive; species and habitat interpretation; and individual site synopses. The survey was funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as part of the EMFF’s Marine Biodiversity Scheme. The primary aim of the survey was to map the distribution and abundance of biogenic and geogenic reef habitat along Ireland’s continental margin using HD video.