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MESSAGE

The Marine & Energy Social Sciences & Humanities Interdisciplinary Research Group

MESSAGE: the Marine & Energy Social Sciences & Humanities Interdisciplinary Research Group is an interdisciplinary research group hosted by the UCD Earth Institute with support from the iCRAG Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences. MESSAGE carries out fundamental research with a particular focus on coastal, marine and renewable energy challenges.

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News

Exciting News from MESSAGE Researchers 03Nov
Exciting News from MESSAGE Researchers

MESSAGE researchers publish guidance on managing sociogovernance processes in Marine Protected Areas
Celebrating One Year of MESSAGE! 23Jul
Celebrating One Year of MESSAGE!

A look back on the events organised by MESSAGE over the course of the 2024/2025 academic year.

View from Annalong Harbour after a storm. (Figure 1) 26Jun
MESSAGE Coastal Writing Retreat

MESSAGE organised a Coastal Writing Retreat in Annalong, Northern Ireland, from the 26-28th of May.

Inside bunks Iceland museum 11Jun
MESSAGE Researchers Travel to Iceland

Researchers Verity Burke and Josh Jewell travelled to Iceland with support from MESSAGE.
MESSAGE Coffee Morning Poster 04Jun
MESSAGE Earth Institute Coffee Morning - April 2025 Event

MESSAGE collaborated with the UCD Earth Institute to host a research coffee morning.
ENACT team at iCRAG conference 16Apr
MESSAGE at iCRAG@10: Evolving for a Changing World

MESSAGE researchers presented at the iCRAG@10: Evolving for a Changing World research showcase event on February 13th, 2025.

Group photos from Message research speed dating event, November 2024 03Dec
Research Speed Dating Event November 2024

MESSAGE hosted a research speed dating event under the theme of the ‘Blue Museum’ organised by Verity Burke and Josie Taylor.
The Irish Sea seminar poster November 2024 11Nov
The Irish Sea: Ecological, Sociocultural and Economic Insights

Green Foundation Ireland and the UCD Earth Institute hosted a seminar exploring the diverse values of the Irish Sea. Researchers, including members of the MESSAGE group, presented ecological, sociocultural, and economic approaches to the valuation of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Democracy & the Environment coastal change event poster 29OCT24 29Oct
Democracy & Environment Series V: Navigating the Community Impacts of Coastal Change

On October 29th, MESSAGE and the UCD Earth Institute co-hosted an event on "Navigating the Community Impacts of Coastal Change", at the Museum of Literature, Ireland (MoLI). Speakers included MESSAGE members Dr. Fergus McAuliffe, Dr. Shauna Creane and Dr. Tomas Buitendijk, as well as Dr. Katherine Cronin from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Mr. Xavier Monteys from Geological Survey Ireland.

IE-NARR Group photo at the Moneypoint site visit September 2024 14Oct
Irish Energy Narratives in the Transition (IE-NARR) Workshop in Kilrush

In late September 2024, the IE-NARR team recently organised a two-day programme of community events in Kilrush, Co. Clare, focusing on the transition from fossil fuel-based energy production to renewables at the Moneypoint Power Station, and what this might mean for people living in Kilrush and the surrounding areas.

Visual representation of Dundalk Bay shown to participants during interviews and the focus group 12Aug
Ecology & Society Paper July 2024

Research by MESSAGE members published in a new July 2024 Ecology & Society paper highlights the complex public perceptions of carbon-storing marine sediments in Dundalk Bay. 
MESSAGE founders at launch 21May
MESSAGE Research Group Launch Event in May 2024

Launch of new interdisciplinary research group MESSAGE hosted by the Earth Institute.
Geertje Schuitema Earth Institute coffee morning illustrative poster 2MAY24 03May
Geertje Schuitema Earth Institute talk May 2024

In May 2024 Geertje Schuitema (UCD College of Business) gave an Earth Institute coffee morning research talk on Marine Spatial Planning and public engagement.

Members

Members

MESSAGE has an active membership and is keen to work with partners across Ireland and internationally, both on existing and new projects.

Attendees at the MESSAGE launch event buffet, May 2024

Contact MESSAGE

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
E: tomas.buitendijk@ucd.ie