mereinstituudi võrgulipp_LTMI
Author:
Kristi Källo
Author:
Kaire Kaljurand, Eesti Mereinstituut
Estonian Marine Institute
The Estonian Marine Institute is a contemporary scientific institution. The main purpose of the Estonian Marine Institute is research to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the marine sphere in Estonia and the Baltic Sea region.
The Estonian Marine Institute is one of the biggest marine organisations in Estonia and contributes to research in several marine study fields. Our research ranges from sea water physics to biology, from microscopic scale to full ecosystems, having unique expert opinions and qualifications in most marine research fields.
The Estonian Marine Institute is a study base for marine biology-orientated postgraduate students and is improving the marine science education in Estonia.
The active progress of marine sciences in Estonia in the last decades has increased the awareness of Estonian science around the Baltic Sea region, and in Europe. The Estonian Marine Institute also collaborates with scientists and specialists from all around the world to conduct high level marine research. Estonian marine scientists have been very successful at the international level as the number of high-rated scientific publications and international projects continually increases. On the other hand, a significant part of the marine research is focused on solving the local scientific problems, which are important for Estonia.
Estonian Marine Institute has five departments (marine biology, fish biology and fisheries, remote sensing and marine optics, marine systems, Pärnu) with four laboratories (fish biology, hydrochemistry, marine biology, and Pärnu). Field work is regularly carried out in five marine field stations (Kõiguste, Kihnu, Käsmu, Praaga, Matsalu).
Estonian Marine Institute primarily focuses on the research of the ecosystem and functioning of Baltic Sea, evaluation and prognoses of the marine organisms and environment. It also concentrates to protect the biological diversity of marine life in different ways in Baltic Sea.
Estonian Marine Institute co-operates with several international organizations. Since 2004, when Estonia became the member of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Estonian Marine Institute has been carrying out several projects, which are co-ordinated by ICES. In addition, Estonian Marine Institute is involved with HELCOM, Baltic Marine Biologists (BMB) etc.
Estonian Marine Institute was established on the 3 of March in 1992 from the units of Estonian Fishery Institute, Estonian Academy of Sciences Ecology, and Marine Research Institute.
In 1996 Estonian Marine Institute was merged with the Ministry of Environment and it was incorporated with University of Tartu in 2000.
Estonian Marine Institute has been one of the Faculty of Science and Technology’s research and development institutes since 2008 (earlier it belonged under Faculty of Biology and Geography).
