We live on a tiny island, situated off the west coast of Europe with a landmass of just 70,273 square km (Republic). That’s a bit smaller than the US state of South Carolina, and a bit larger than the state of West Virginia.

Ours is not a nation blessed with rich deposits of coal, oil, or diamonds, for example. We all know we lack natural resources. But, wait. Is that a flawed perception? Recently, the 10th anniversary of the start of large scale marine surveying in Ireland was celebrated at the Seabed 10 Conference in Dublin.

Listening to the presentations of the various researchers involved during a remarkable decade of survey work, it is clear that Ireland does have significant natural resources – at least offshore ones – and that our hitherto mysterious offshore is finally revealing its treasures.

For more click here to read a feature on this subject published in the January 2010 edition of Science Spin.