Sir, - Allow me, as honorary research officer of the Maritime Institute of Ireland, to express delight at the fascinating article (The Irish Times, August 2nd) by Lorna Siggins on the serious research just begun by our Marine Institute and its French equivalent, Ifremer, on the coral reefs deep down off our coast.
In the early days of the Maritime Institute, nearly 60 years ago, we made frequent public appeals for our governments to inaugurate serious marine research, because understanding of the sea around us could bring wealth and employment. Friends involved in founding France's superb Ifremer encouraged me to keep up the struggle when each government ignored each call for State encouragement of ambitious marine research.
Eventually, a government led by Mr Haughey listened and founded our excellent Marine Institute and a Department of Marine. Ever since there has been progress.
For the sake of the great benefits marine research offers, it is to be hoped that the Marine Institute will be provided with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and other urgently required equipment for deep-sea research. It is to be hoped too that our revived, centuries-old co-operation with maritime-minded France will continue. - Yours, etc.,
John De Courcy Ireland, (Honorary Research Officer, Maritime Institute of Ireland, Member of the AcadΘmiΘ de Marine, Paris), Dalkey, Co Dublin.