Introduction
The Irish Marine Aquaculture industry, spread out in over 282 sites throughout the entire coastline , representing both Shellfish and Finfish ventures, is significantly important to the Irish economy. The potential occurrence of ‘Jellyfish blooms’, Harmful algal blooms (Habs ) and Harmful algal events (Haes) present a continuous challenge to these industries. Annual and seasonal occurrence of growth and transportation of problematic species to aquaculture need to be monitored and potentially predicted in a more integrated manner yet with specific requirements of outputs for each industry. The most recent 2 years proved particularly less biologically and financially problematic in terms of presence of levels of toxic species of algae for the shellfish industries . The Irish salmon industry experienced particularly difficult biological challenges in 2023 and 2024 and ‘..addressing these challenges remains a priority to stabilise and improve salmon production’(BIM,2023). Through engagement with stakeholders and state bodies, the following overview details the most used insitu environmental monitoring tools and early warning systems and the need for continued improvements.