The National Research Council (CNR) is the largest public research institution in Italy, the only one under the Research Ministry performing multidisciplinary activities. CNR’s mission is to perform research in its own Institutes, to promote innovation and competitiveness of the national industrial system, to promote the internationalization of the national research system, to provide technologies and solutions to emerging public and private needs, to advice Government and other public bodies, and to contribute to the qualification of human resources.

The Institute of Marine Sciences-CNR (ISMAR-CNR) is the biggest Istitute of CNR. ISMAR’s mission focusing on  Fundamental and Applied Research in physical, chemical, biological oceanography and marine geology with an inspiring knowledge-role for planetary challenges, in particular:

• The ocean in the context of Earth and Planetary Science:

Climate change, surface and deep-water circulation

Global warming and the Mediterranean hotspot

Biodiversity, Long-term ecosystem dynamics and regime shifts

• Marine geology: 

Plate tectonics

Continental margins, from the shore to the abyss

Quaternary paleoceanography and abrupt climate change

• Human impacts on the ocean: 

Biogeochemical alterations 

Garbage, littering, spills, chemical dumps, ghost fishing

Noise and anthropogenic soundscapes

Abiotic resources and deep-sea mining & restoration

• Natural and anthropic risks in the marine environment, European Directives (MSFD, WFD, MSP)

Geohazard, multi-risk analysis, EU Directives implementation