The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, with its 3 research institutes (on oceanography, marine biological resources and inland waters, and marine biology, biotechnology and aquaculture) has been involved, in large-scale ocean experiments, measuring environmental parameters, exploring the seafloor, studying shallow and deep habitats and species, finding ancient wrecks and submerged cities and helping the State with tsunami hazard mitigation. It has also sought to protect the region’s beaches, studying the evolution of fish populations, developing feed for fish, training graduate students and disseminating information to the public.

HCMR also provides management advice for fisheries and aquaculture and supports the implementation and data needs of key EU environmental legislation such as the Habitats Directive, the WFD and the MSFD. HCMR has been extremely active in all the EU framework programmes, involved in numerous projects as coordinator or a partner including recent FP7 PERSEUS, CORALFISH, DEVOTES, MESMA, ODEMM, BENTHIS as well as FP6 SESAME, MEDISEH, MEECE, COST-IMPACT, ELME, NATURA 2000. HCMR has been also involved in research and data collection for the WFD, MSFD, Habitats Directive and the fisheries DCF under CFP. The Centre has modern well-equipped facilities including 3 research vessels, 4 remotely operated underwater vehicles, a manned subsermible and 2 public aquaria and is active throughout in the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent seas.

HCMR participants in this project have been involved in studies on ecosystem functioning and fisheries and other anthropogenic impacts including pollution, biodiversity issues, life cycle history, food web structure, biological resources management, as well as marine litter and microplastics investigations.