The Irish have long viewed the ocean with fear and reverence. Strong waves and large tides have shaped the coast of Ireland and Irish thought over millennia. Meanwhile chemical oceanography drives all life in the ocean; without the input of nutrients and essential minerals from terrestrial sources, the coast of Ireland would be devoid of life, and fishing, a major sector of the local economy, would cease to exist.

Students will explore these topics in detail through experiments in the lab and field, visits to nearby oceanographic laboratories, and participation in long-term research on and around the coastline of Dingle.