CCMAR
CCMAR
A research centre dedicated to ocean sustainability
The Centre of Marine Sciences of the Algarve, also known by its acronym CCMAR, is one of Portugal's leading marine science research centres and is widely recognised for the excellence of its research at European level. Its capacity is based on a multidisciplinary team including marine biology, ecology, oceanography, environmental sciences, biotechnology, fisheries and aquaculture.
Our institution
Located in the south of Portugal, CCMAR is an independent, non-profit research organisation that is part of the University of the Algarve system and has public utility status.
We are an institution that leads the way in ocean research, developing science and technology to respond to major challenges that our society faces.
Our mission
Understanding, protecting, and exploring the potential of marine resources through multidisciplinary scientific research, innovation and advanced training.
Our vision
A leading institution in advancing ocean research, developing science and technology to address the great challenges facing society.
Our science strategy
The ocean is our future
The ocean covers 70 per cent of our planet and is home to an enormous diversity of life and ecosystems. It is fundamental to regulating the global climate and the carbon cycle. Although the ocean is essential for life on Earth, we still don't know exactly how it works or how it reacts to changes and threats.
If the ocean is our focus, science is our foundation.
With a multidisciplinary strategy and following Open Science policies, our science contributes to Society, Education, Collaboration and Industry, focusing on three essential challenges: Ocean Knowledge, Ocean Health and Ocean Wealth.
Three pillars, three thematic lines
The first pillar, Ocean Knowledge, seeks to understand the ocean in its multiple dimensions and uncover the impact of the thematic line: Global Environmental Changes, deepening knowledge about the processes that shape the ocean, with an impact on ecosystems and our planet.
The second pillar, Ocean Health, is dedicated to protecting and restoring the vitality of marine ecosystems, promoting sustainable practices and nature-based solutions through the thematic line: Ocean Management and Conservation.
The third pillar, Ocean Wealth, values the Ocean as a source of innovation and prosperity, promoting the responsible use and sustainable exploitation of its resources, within the thematic line: Marine Products and Resources.
Together, these pillars and their respective thematic lines support our vision: to understand, protect and value the blue Ocean of our future.
Understanding our Ocean
Increasing our knowledge of past and present natural processes is crucial to formulate hypothesis for the future, from local ecosystems to the whole world, from molecules and genes to complex ecosystems.
Protecting marine life
To truly protect marine biodiversity, sustainable management policies based on science and the details of the ocean's rich biodiversity must be advised and implemented
Exploring sustainable ways of harvesting the richness of our waters
We explore new approaches to obtain basic knowledge about marine organisms in order to identify new marine products and resources, predict the environmental impact and promote a sustainable vision of marine exploitation.
A centre where research drives our activities
We bring our science to society
Social challenges are strongly rooted in our mission. The ultimate goal of our research is to serve society.
Whether through the sharing of knowledge or the development of products and applied technologies, we bring our science to policymakers, local communities and the general public, so that together we can develop solutions to the major challenges facing society.
Thus, our researchers engage in specific public interactions, such as promoting ocean literacy and citizen science initiatives, which address issues such as ocean conservation and developing the blue bioeconomy.
We are dedicated to education to sustain the future
We prepare researchers to overcome today’s and future by offering advanced training and welcoming students into our laboratories and teams.
With the development of seminars and advanced training courses often organised by our researchers, the exchange of knowledge between peers is a constant matter.
Although CCMAR does not award academic degrees, we integrate many PhD candidates into our research groups, where they develop their research path. To enhance their doctoral experience, we have created the Doctoral School, to which the entire research community contributes.
We have collaborations all over the world
At CCMAR we believe that optimising scientific resources and working collaboratively is the key to advancing marine sciences, which is why we embrace and strongly support various European research infrastructures and initiatives.
CCMAR is connected to the world through multiple national and international partnerships, from the icy waters of Antarctica to tropical coral reefs.
We propose solutions with industry
We collaborate with companies and industrial partners to develop science, innovation and technologies that boost the blue economy.
CCMAR provides research and technology services supported by its capacity in scientific areas such as: aquaculture, biotechnology, biomedicine, fisheries, biodiversity, climate change and marine conservation.
Our indicators
Indicators for 2024.