PLANS for an underwater sculpture garden in Bantry Bay to boost marine life are taking shape and will soon be submitted in the hopes of securing a licence.

The project, named Seabed Sanctuary, is aimed at addressing biodiversity loss in coastal waters.

It brings together artists, marine biologists and concerned locals, and is currently in the research and development stage.

‘Most people on land don’t really see marine wildlife and what is happening underwater. When you go snorkelling or kayaking you get a closer look at it, and also a sense of the depletion and destruction of the habitat,’ said Rob Monaghan, chairperson of Seabed Sanctuary.

‘Things like drag netting are having a huge impact. We’re trying to change the perception of the ocean and raise awareness of the pressing issues. It’s coming from a place of concern but there’s also a joyous element to it by doing it through art.’

The ongoing local campaign to protect the sprat and a successful bid to stop the mechanical harvesting of kelp in Bantry Bay have had an influence on the outlook of the group, members say.

One idea for the future is to get people on the sea in glass bottom boats on tours of the underwater attraction and to involve young people from local schools in marine education.

The collective got together in 2021 and in 2023, 30 artists responded to an open call to submit designs for the Bantry Bay sculpture garden.

The project was inspired by Italian fisherman Paolo Fanciulli who created an underwater sculpture garden made from marble to help stop bottom dredging that was destroying the seabed on the Tuscan coast.

‘The sculpture garden will benefit the local marine flora and fauna because the sculptures provide a protected base where habitats can become established to form the growth and population of natural reefs,’ said artist Chris Gaughran, co-founder and coordinator of Seabed Sanctuary.

In April 2023 the group submitted an application to the Foreshore Licensing Department, now discontinued.

A new application is being prepared for the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, which now oversees such licences.

‘When we finally get permission to put sculptures down into the water, we want to make sure you won’t have to be able to dive to see them. The maximum depth will be 15 metres so that people will also be able to see them from the surface.’

Among the backers and members of the group are marine campaigner Dolf D’Hondt, marine ecologist and environmentalist Karin Dubsky, founder of Coastwatch Europe, and Green Party politician Rory Jackson.

In 2024, the group invited scientist and artist Marcus Maeder to carry out an ecoacoustic investigation of marine life outside Glengarriff’s special area of conservation.

The underwater operation involved sound recordings of fish, seals and creatures invisible to the human eye, to find out more about the impact of human activity on wildlife.

At the moment, the sound monitoring devices are recording underwater in Bantry Bay, and also in Glengarriff River and in Glengarriff Forest.

The bioacoustic research is planned to continue at the sculpture garden, once it becomes reality, to show the expected increase in marine life.

In July, Seabed Sanctuary is partnering once again with Marcus Maeder to host a week-long workshop in Ballydehob as part of an exchange with students from the Knowledge to Society degree at Luzern university in Switzerland.

The workshop will focus on exploring the coast and coming up with narratives to promote engagement with marine conservation.

The workshop will also look at Irish myths about nature.

In addition to workshops, Seabed Sanctuary has also put on exhibitions including at Bantry Library and during Skibbereen Arts Festival.

The group has also put on fundraising concerts with local musicians and gigs using bioacoustic recordings as part of their mission to reimagine ocean conservation through creativity, collaboration and science.

Another event coming up is a fundraiser for L.A.S.T., a charity supporting the families of those who have lost their lives at sea.

The collective is on the way to becoming a non-profit company and has been raising funds to help with a fresh foreshore licensing application.

If you would like to support the group’s efforts visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/seabed-sanctuary-collective.