Dr Eoin Costelloe

I’ve always had a very keen interest in all things marine. From a very young age I could be seen scouring the shores for marine life in Galway Bay. I started my marine biology journey by studying marine and freshwater biology at the Atlantic Technological University (formerly GMIT), for my thesis I investigated bivalves as potential carriers of the oyster herpes virus. After my undergraduate studies. I worked for an environmental consultancy Aquafact where I honed my scientific skills including taxonomic identification, environmental impact assessments and scientific diving. I continued my studies at masters level at University College Cork. After this I moved to New Zealand where I worked for the Ministry of Primary Industries working in a diagnostic team for Mycoplasma bovis – a bacterium that causes mastitis in cattle. I decided to pursue a PhD in molecular biology at the University of Aberdeen with an industry partner Biomar, an aquaculture feed manufacturer. My PhD project investigated “Functional studies of gill health in Atlantic salmon salmo salar” where I focused on the molecular mechanisms for understanding proliferative gill disorder (PGD) in the gills of Atlantic salmon. After my PhD I moved back to Ireland where I worked in the Marine Institute as a laboratory analyst in the shellfish microbiology team. Now, I am working on the SHELLWISE project,  investigating the potential impacts of noise pollution and vibration from offshore wind turbines on marine shellfish health. In my spare time I enjoy running, rugby and football.