About IIM

The Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) is one of the main marine research centers in the Iberian Peninsula. Looking at the Atlantic from Vigo, a city with a strong connection with the sea, the IIM-CSIC faces the challenge of increasing our knowledge about the ocean, from its physical characteristics to the food we take from it and the processes that bind the whole system together.

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Research

Research is at the core of the Institute of Marine Research's work. Working along 3 Core Research Themes, which intertwine and connect to each other, the researchers and technicians at the IIM-CSIC look for answers within 9 different research lines.

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Innovation

While our research provides us with new knowledge about our sea and shores, at the Institute of Marine Research we are committed to go a step further, creating new collaborations with the industry and other economic activities, be they already 'established' industries, such as fisheries or aquaculture, or 'emerging' ones, such as ocean observation.

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Society

Science is not complete until it is shared with society. As a public research institution, the IIM understands that its commitment is with society, fostering a two-way relationship with its surrounding community and an open perspective on science.

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Work & Study

Marine scientists, lab technicians, biologists, chemists and engineers, but also economists, lawyers or communicators (both working and in training) contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of our center. With more than 200 employees, the IIM-CSIC is a large community of people who work together for the sake of science, knowledge and sustainability.

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News & Events

Do you want to be aware of the latest at the IIM? The Institute has a whole team involved in communication & outreach, sharing all news that arise and organizing events to reach all sectors of society: from other peers working in science to children in schools or our neighbors from Vigo.

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Marine Life and Ecosystems

Life organization: from genes to biomes

Life is highly organized and structured following a hierarchy that can be examined on a scale from small to large. Typically, this scale runs from the molecular and cellular levels to higher organizational levels such as tissues, organs, individuals, groups, populations, communities, ecosystems and biomes. 

Through this research line, we intend to better understand the mechanisms that allow organisms to function, evolve and interact with other organisms, as well as with their surrounding environment, to increase their individual fitness and eventually contributing to species adaptation and success. Along with interactions among organisms, the Institute cannot overlook the major role of climate change and its impact on the biology of marine organisms, which is being increasingly addressed within this line.

The wide variety of life organization forms and interactions calls for a variety of disciplines to be applied. Molecular biology, genetics, metabolism biology, physiology, immunology, reproductive biology, growth biology, ethology, taxonomy and fundamental ecology are just some of the disciplines we apply to explore this line of research. In the same way, our research investigates a large variety of taxa: virus, bacteria, algae, molluscs, crustaceans, fish and cetaceans. In addition, the line applies its research to different environments: open oceans, coastal areas, and pelagic waters, as well as farming conditions.

 

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Inside this Research Line
Research Groups Research Projects Related Research Lines