Department of Marine Biology

Estonian Marine Institute's Department of Marine Biology with its competence and activities covers all taxonomic units and size classes of marine life, which exists in Baltic Sea. Department of Marine Biology also includes accredited hydrochemistry and marine biology laboratory. Department’s activities cover experimental work in the laboratory complexes, and in field stations and intensive field work in costal and open sea. 
 

Major research topics:

• the biodiversity and geographical distribution of marine life in the Baltic Sea;
• the distribution and development pattern of plankton in the Baltic Sea;
• distribution and dynamics of phytobenthos in the Baltic Sea;
• distribution and dynamics of non-native species in the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea;
• productivity, matter, and energy cycles and population dynamics in the Baltic Sea’s ecosystem;
• effect of sea water acidification and eutrophication on the marine life in the Baltic Sea.

Most important applied research subjects include:

• national marine environment monitoring program (responsible since 1995);
• assessment of the state of marine environment;
• operational automatic measuring of different parameters of marine environment from autonomous platforms including ship of opportunity measurements;
• inventory of biological diversity in coastal waters;
• ocean acidification;
• GIS modelling and mapping the distribution of benthic species and communities;
• spatial planning of the sea;
• blue economy;
• marine litter.