Emer Keaveney is a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) by profession. Emer has a BSc., in Zoology and an MSc., in Marine Biology from University College Cork (UCC). Emer has been conducting research on marine mammals for over a decade. Over the years, she has contributed to research and conservation on national and international  marine wildlife  projects, ranging from marine turtles, to pinnipeds  and  cetaceans, such as bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales. Her research is focused on the impacts of human activites on marine mammals and she has a keen interest in cetacean ecology, behaviour, physiology and acoustics. 

Contact: emer@orcireland.ie

Ben Horgan is a graduate of University College Cork (UCC), having completed a BSc., in Zoology and an MSc., in Marine Biology.  Ben has been an angler all of his life and is skilled at catch and release of shark species and Atlantic bluefin tuna. Ben works with us as the icthiologist and elasmobranch research co-ordinator. Ben has volunteered with non-profit organisations since 2013, and has a range of field skills that are a huge benefit to the organisation.  Ben has a research background in tagging marine invertebrates, sharks, tuna and marine turtles. He is also an advocate of O.R.C.Ireland's Catch & Release "Best Practices for Angling in Ireland. 

Contact: research.orcireland@gmail.com

Kieran Collins is a native to Baltimore, West Cork and is skipper and owner of "Baltimore Wildlife Tours".  Kieran has spent his entire life at sea, having worked as a commercial fisherman, he later retired to establish one of the first whale and wildlife watching companies off the South Coast of Ireland. Kieran is also an expert angler and has years of experience recording and tagging sharks and Atlantic bluefin tuna, caught on a  catch & release basis. Kieran contributes  to conservation of marine megafauna in irish waters allowing his vessel "Radiance" to be used as a platform for research and education by O.R.C.ireland Scientists since the organisation was first established. 

Contact: Info@baltimorewildlifetours.ie

Frances Gallgher  has been an avid marine biologist since a very young age. Frances studied natural sciences at GMIT (Galway- Mayo Institute of Technlogy), and ran a sucsessful aquaculutre company called "Rinn Bearna Aquatics" from 1994 to 2008. Frances is a founding member of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and is a tranied MMO. Frances also teaches seaweed foraging along the  outer shores of Cork Harbour.   

Contact: rinnbearna@gmail.com

Cammy Harley is a writer and freelance Journalist based in West Cork. She is a keen naturalist and is passionate about the outdoors and in particular marine activities and conservation. Cammy volunteers has many years experience of office admin and digital marketing. She also volunteers with two other local west cork groups and is based in Bantry, Co. Cork. Cammy works hard for the conservation of marine wildlife, and often liases with the National Parks & Wildlife Services. 

Contact: Cammy at secreatry.orcireland@gmail.com

Gerard is a graduate of University College Cork (UCC), having completed a BSc., in Zoology (2017) and a MSc., in Marine Biology (2018).  He has been interested in the ocean from a very young age with particular interest in elasmobranch ecology and has long been an advocate of elasmobranch research in Ireland.  Ger has been working in Dingle aquarium as a tour guide and aquarists for the past 6 years. He has worked on several research projects; including investigating microplastics in benthic fish and shark species and wants to continue brining awareness to the growing concerns of plastics in the marine ecosystem. Ger has also been a member of UCC Sub Aqua for 5 years and a member of ORCireland since 2018. 

Eimear Thornton, is  an MSc Marine Biology graduate  from University College Cork (UCC). She is particularly interested in the ecology and conservation of marine mammals and seabirds, and in promoting public awareness of the issues which they face. As part of her MSc thesis, she spent a summer on Great Saltee island studying the Atlantic puffin population, including their numbers and the anthropogenic threats which are posed to them on the island. 

Contact: communications.orcireland@gmail.com

Davide is an MSc graduated in Marine Biology from University College Cork. Since 2015, he has volunteered and worked with organizations for the conservation and understanding of whales and dolphins in different parts of the world. As he started to work with cetaceans, he became interested

in the role that sound plays a central role in their life, from their behaviour, culture to the ecology, mainly threatened by human activities. Always eager to know and understand more about their world, and share this knowledge.

Contact: acoustics.orcireland@gmail.com

Caoimhe is a graduate of NUIG having completed a B.S.c in Marine Science  and completed a M.S.c in Marine Biology from U.C.C. She has had a keen interest in the ocean since she was a child having spent her summers in West Clare. Caoimhe has a huge interest in cetaceans with her M.S.c thesis focussing on the resident population of Bottlenose dolphins in the Shannon estuary. Caoimhe has spent time in Greece volunteering in sea turtle conservation and Caoimhe is now working as a marine ecologist consultant. 

Contact: 

sightings.orcireland@gmail.com

Madelief volunteers for O.R.C. as our Social Media Officer as she believes social media plays a vital role in raising awareness about conservation efforts and educating the general public. She is a second-year ecology and environmental biology student at University College Cork. She is originally from the Netherlands, but studies abroad in Ireland. She would love to pursue an Msc in Marine Biology and has a keen interest in the conservation of wildlife, especially of marine species. 

Contact: socialmedia.orcireland@gmail.com

Kathryn Cox graduated from UCC in 2018 with an honours degree in Ecology in Environmental Biology. I have undertaken research in my final year investigating the effects of climate change on Pacific Oysters. She is extremely interested in the effects of climate change on marine species and hopes to educate people on how they can play their part in protecting our oceans and raise awareness for future generations. 

She has also worked in a wildlife park for 6 years as a conservation/education officer and created and implemented different strategies to help protect our wildlife as well as get the general public and local schools involved. 

Contact:observersapp@gmail.com

Hollie is an MSc Marine Biology student at University College Cork (UCC) with a keen interest in elasmobranch conservation and ecology. One of her priorities as a marine biologist is to contribute to ensuring a sustainable future for elasmobranch species - in particular, helping to form effective management initiatives to minimise fishing mortality and bycatch. She aims to utilise a multi-disciplinary approach, combining her background in events management and current field of study, to generate innovative ideas and help the O.R.C with public outreach events that focus on marine conservation and education.

Contact: events.orcireland@gmail.com

Hailing from the Gaeltacht in County Waterford, Éinne is a zoology graduate from Trinity College, and is currently pursuing a masters in Marine Biology in University College Cork.  A former tour guide in Trinity's Zoological Museum, as well as a former bursar at the Marine Institute,  Éinne has a passion for educating other about the wonderful world under the surface of the sea.  Éinne's current research involves using spatial distribution modelling to  investigated interspecies interactions in cetaceans. 

Contact: events.orcireland@gmail.com

Kate is a graduate of University College Cork, having completed a BSc in Zoology. She aims to pursue a career in Marine Biology and will begin a MSc in UCC next year. Kate takes particular interest in

marine mammals, having conducted her final year project on the social structure of bottlenose dolphins. She also has experience in research and conservation after volunteering with a sea turtle conservation organisation in Greece. Kate first got involved with O.R.C.Ireland as a scientific writer. She wrote blog articles for the website on multiple topics such marine protected areas and marine mammal stress hormones. Kate is passionate about conserving marine wildlife which is important now more than ever, as human impacts and climate change increasingly threat our oceans.

Contact:conservation.orcireland@gmail.com

Suzanne has an MSc in Marine Mammal Science from the University of St Andrews where her thesis focused on song transmission of humpback whale populations in the South Pacifc Ocean.

Her field experience comes from research expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula and around Western Scotland where she surveyed for marine mammal and seabird species. Currently, she is working as a Marine Mammal Ecologist with a renewable energy consultancy. Her passion is understanding the impacts of anthropogenic activity, especially noise, on marine mammal species.

Contact: welfare.orcireland@gmail.com

Marytna Franskowska is a secondary school student in Cork City and has a passion for zoology and marine science. Martyna completed 3 weeks work experience with O.R.C.Ireland in March 2020 and has since taken on the role as Youth Ambassador. Under this role, Martyna pioneers the use of the Observers App among her peers and encourages business and poeple to take O.R.C.Ireland's Plastic Free Pledge. 

Contact: youthambassador.orcireland@gmail.com