The National Institute of Oceanography (IOLR) is located in Haifa (Tel Shikmona) on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The institute engages in research and development in marine sciences and provides information and professional advice to the government and the public sector in the context of the sustainable utilization and conservation of Israel’s marine and coastal resources.
The oceanographic studies at the institute are engaged in research, monitoring, and collecting environmental data in the Mediterranean Sea, and in studying natural and unnatural processes. The research topics at the institute include subjects such as; flow and mixing processes; oceanographic models; material cycles; sediment transportation and geological processes; the structure of the seabed; physiology, immunology, and ecology of marine organisms and the populations’ dynamics; the biological diversity in offshore waters and deep seas; effects of human activity on the open sea and coastal environment.
IOLR operates advanced instruments and national infrastructures for marine research and monitoring, such as; the national research vessel “Bat Galim”, small ships, and autonomous underwater gliders. A variety of mapping, sampling, data collection, and independent systems are placed at sea for continuous monitoring of environmental variables.
In addition, ecological monitoring (community structure, biological diversity, etc.) is carried out in several habitats at a monthly to yearly frequency as follows:
• Seasonal ecological monitoring of the Benthos community of the vegetation tables in four sites from north to south since 2009 (also includes a monthly sampling of the water - chlorophyll, nutrients, alkalinity, DIC, temp., pH).
• Seasonal ecological monitoring of the benthos community (fish, and biotic cover) of the shallow reefs in the Shekmona/Rash Carmel area.
• Annual ecological monitoring of the mesophotic reefs (90-100
meters) at the top of Carmel and the shallow reef.
• Monthly zooplankton monitoring at the Hadera station
• Monitoring the fish society and the invertebrate community in sandy bottoms
• Deep sea monitoring
IOLR operates the National Marine Information Center - ISRAMAR, which collects, records, and distributes data and information regarding Israel’s marine environment.
