Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (www.hcmr.gr/en/) is the national marine laboratory of Greece. It supports three institutes, which collectively cover oceanography, fisheries, aquaculture, marine biology, genetics and inland waters, from basic science to technological research.

The Centre has well-equipped facilities in 4 major sites, in Athens and the islands of Crete and Rhodes, with public aquariums in the latter two island sites. It operates 3 research vessels (65 m Aegaeo, 26 m Philia, 14 m Alkyon), a 600 m manned submersible and several ROV systems, including a 2000 m system. It has been extremely active in all the EU framework programmes, involved in numerous projects as coordinator or a partner. Approximately 30% of its income is directly from the EU for research projects and it produces 150+ peer reviewed publications per year. The Centre is active throughout in the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent seas. At a national level it runs the Poseidon sea forecasting system and is responsible for both the National Fisheries Monitoring programme and the Waters Framework Directive monitoring system in Greece.