Phase one of the project, Smartbay, that included the commissioning of three buoy stations in Galway bay to which sensors were attached, began in July and has just concluded and "it went better then originally planned", according to Dr. Harry Kolar, Chief Architect for Sensor-Based Solutions with IBM.
The highly sensitive sensors monitor a variety of underwater patterns and feebdack information including tidal flow, wave heights, water temperatures and phtyoplankton into a computer system at the Marine Institue of Oranmore.
The new, cutting-edge technologies being pioneered in Galway Bay-information and knowledge management, real-time intelligent systems, and sensor-based, cyberphysical systems - will be beneficial to a number of different industries including tourism, fishing, aquaculture and the environment.
Dr. Kolar gave examples of how technology could be used in an interview with Galway City Tribune.
"The technology can be used for health and safety purposes by commercial fisherman".
"It could also be used to give the harbour master advanced warning about potential flooding and provide information about pollution spill and weather conditions, coastal erosion and changes in the population of specific fish stocks and so on. The expertise could be also used by new and emerging environmental industries and companies who are harvesting wave and tidal energy.
Source: Galway City Tribune, Dara Bradley, 28-11-2008