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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Biological Systems and Process

Circular economy: Integral use of marine resources

Ensuring sustainability in fish farming industries and establishing a sustainable use of fisheries provide our society with an enormous potential to achieve a healthy and balanced nutrition for all.

However, the limitations in the availability of these resources call for a more efficient exploitation, reducing global food losses and adding value to certain industry byproducts, currently considered food waste.

On the one hand, fisheries discards, that is, non-target catches, constitute a substantial waste of resources that threatens the sustainable exploitation and economic viability of fisheries. On the other, the seafood processing industry produces many byproducts such as proteins, enzymes, fatty acids and biopolymers, which are often disposed of despite their potential for biotechnological, nutritional, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications.

Our research along this line intends to add value to these currently wasted resources. We design and optimize eco-innovative processes and technologies to manage and valorize fishery discards and food processing industry byproducts and effluents. By doing this, we are able to obtain ingredients for aquafeed and human consumption, along with other medium-high added-value compounds of interest for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

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Inside this Research Line
Research Groups Research Projects Related Research Lines