iMARL - A Marine Research Laboratory for Geosystems

The iMARL marine equipment pool, led by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), is an initiative in oceanographic research, utilising a versatile collection of advanced ocean sensors. This pool comprises broadband Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS), acoustic sensors, and instruments for measuring absolute pressure and temperature within the water column. Designed for global deployment, the equipment facilitates the detection of offshore earthquakes, storms, underwater anthropogenic noise, and biologically generated acoustic signals, such as those produced by cetaceans. The iMARL initiative has significant implications for natural resource quantification, natural hazard assessment, in situ ocean monitoring related to environmental and climate baselines, and marine noise pollution analysis. This innovative approach enables critical advancements in understanding ocean dynamics, supporting sustainable resource management, environmental conservation, and hazard mitigation.