A robot submarine from the University of Limerick (UL) has investigated a series of unknown shipwrecks off the west coast.

Engineers from Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIS ) at UL and Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland (MaREI) were involved.

The team of researchers was led by chief scientist Dr Gerard Dooly aboard the research vessel Celtic Explorer.

They used a new automated underwater vehicle, ROV Étáin, to carry out the surveys.

It comes after a recently unveiled Irish National Monuments Service Wreck Viewer listed the locations of more than 4,000 shipwrecks from a total of 18,000 records of potential wrecks in Irish waters.

The underwater vehicle control system, developed at UL and funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), uses artificial intelligence and high-powered computers for autonomous controls.

This gives it the ability to evaluate situations independent of human help.

Dr Dooly said: "Close quarter inspection of these sites with an ROV is technically challenging and hazardous due to the presence of abandoned fishing gear.

"The blended control and automation of the ROV provided by our UL developed OceanRINGS software and other UL systems allows us to safely complete these missions.

Some of the footage from the ROV Étáin | Image: YouTube/UniversityofLimerick

"Near the wreck, we saw pots and pans and unexploded ordinance (shells and primers) scattered on the seafloor reminding us of the human misfortune that occurred at the time of sinking.

"Every wreck has its own story, so it's always interesting to locate long forgotten shipwrecks and then try to determine the identity of the wreck and understand something of the circumstances of the tragedy."

The survey successfully located and dove on two large wrecks - greater than 100 metres in length.

They are thought to be that of a liner and a large cargo vessel, and one smaller wreck which was found to be an operational World War I-era U-boat.

A high definition camera survey of one of the wrecks revealed that intact parts of the ship were taken over by various sea creatures: anemones, solitary corals, oysters and brachiopods.

Subsequent multibeam mapping of one wreck, thought to be that of the Ocean Liner S.S. Canadian, showed a large debris field that was not visible on the original map of the wreck - suggesting a violent impact with the seabed.