A geophysical survey covering 900km sqaured of the seabed off the coast of Waterford and Cork is beginning today.
It comes as part of DP Energy's plans for an offshore windfarm.
The survey will be conducted over five days and aims to gather information on the make up of the sea bed.
The data collected will be used to decide on where the turbines will sit as well as the construction methods that will be used.
Yvonne Cronin, Community and Stakeholder Liaison Manager with DP Energy, told WLR they need to find out whether the area is suitable for a windfarm.
"It'll show whether it's all rock, whether it's all muddy and it'll show whether there are canyons out there," she said.
The survey is covering a huge area of the sea but it will then be honed down to a smaller area.
If permission is granted to DP Energy, their windfarm could power the equivalent of one million homes.
The organisation prides itself on being an Irish-based operation.
"The boat that is being used for the survey is the Commissioners of Irish Light's Vessel, Grainuail," Yvonne said.
Another thing they are proud of is that marine wildlife is a the forefront of their priorities.
Owners and founders of the group, Maureen and Simon De Pietro, hold sustainability close to their heart.
Maureen has been working with renewables since the 1980s and is an advocate for marine wildlife.
Yvonne is also a marine biologist and says that biodiversity is always in the back of their minds during decision making.
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