The Martin Ryan Institute (MRI) is a marine research and teaching facility on the campus of NUI Galway near the centre of Galway City and at Carna, Co. Galway. This site contains information on the research carried out at the institute's two facilities, and on the Institute's undergraduate degree in Marine Science.

The MRI was funded by means of a donation from the late Dr Tony Ryan in 1993, which was used to build a state-of-the-art Marine Science building in a prominent location on the NUI Galway campus. Matching funding from the European Union's STRIDE Regional Development programme was obtained to fit out the building and to purchase equipment. Marine Science was also funded under the Irish Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions ( PRTLI) in 2001-2004 (Cycle 2) and 2002-2006 (Cycle 3). Cycle 3 funding amounted to ¿19.3 million and was used partly to fund a much-needed Annexe (pictured above) which includes a larger Seminar Room and a larger Teaching Laboratory and additional laboratories and offices.

The priority areas targeted for development by the MRI are:

• Aquaculture, including fish and shellfish broodstock development, seaweed cultivation
• Biodiscovery: marine sponge and algal taxonomy (funded by a Beaufort Award) Biodiscovery: marine adhesives and biomaterials
• Functional foods from the sea (NutraMara) Gene regulation
• Invasive species
• Molecular biology and invertebrate stem-cell research
• Marine environment, including climate and environment change
• Marine microbiology, including marine toxic and non-toxic blooms
• Physical and Chemical Oceanography
• Sensors and SmartBay technology