Wikipedia

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) (Greek: Ελληνικό Κέντρο Θαλάσσιων Ερευνών, ΕΛ.ΚΕ.ΘΕ.) is a Greek governmental research organisation, operating under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investments.[1]

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research
Ελληνικό Κέντρο Θαλάσσιων Ερευνών
Eliniko Kentro Thalasion Erevnon

The TRITON marine research park, headquarters of HCMR
Agency overview
FormedJune 3, 2003
Preceding agencies
  • National Centre for Marine Research
  • Institute of Marine Biology of Crete
TypeResearch organization
JurisdictionGeneral Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investment
HeadquartersAnavyssos, Eart Attica
Agency executive
  • Antonios Magoulas, President of the Board of Directors and Director of HCMR
Child agencies
  • Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture
  • Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters
  • Institute of Oceanography
Websitehttps://www.hcmr.gr/en/

History

edit

In 1912, the Greek government decided to create the first Greek marine research institute and consulted the director of the Ichthyological Station of Rome, professor Decio Vinciguerra. With his suggestions, the Marine Hydrobiological Station was established in 1914 and was located in Palaio Faliro. 34 years later, in 1948, it came under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture (now Ministry of Rural Development and Food) and it was renamed Laboratory of Fisheries Studies.[2]

In 1945, after the Second World War, the Hellenic Hydrobiological Institute of the Academy of Athens was founded in Piraeus, incorporating the Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes which had been set up by the Italians during their occupation of the Dodecanese.

Two decades later, in 1965, it merged with the Laboratory of Fisheries Studies forming the Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries Research, which would then evolve to the National Centre for Marine Research in 1985. It was now a public sector organisation under the jurisdiction of the General Secretariat of Research and Technology, part of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology (now Ministry of Development).[2]

In 1987, the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete was established in Heraklion. This institute was amalgamated with the National Centre for Marine Research on June 3, 2003; forming the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. This new organisation is a public sector body operating under public sector regulations.[2]

Research institutes

edit

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research comprises three research institutes:

Fleet

edit

Μanned submersible

edit
 
THETIS submersible of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research is operating a Remora 2000 type submersible named THETIS, which was constructed by COMEX in 1999. It has a crew capacity of two; and can dive at a depth of 610 metres (2,000 ft), while moving at a speed of 2.5 knots. It can operate for as much as nine hours, though missions normally do not last for more than six hours.[3] Its two robotic arms have the ability to lift objects of up to 100 kilograms (220 lb). THETIS is deployed by R/V AEGAEO and it has a special intercom system for communication with the ship.[4] The purchase cost of the submersible was €2,069,000.[3]

Research vessels

edit
Image Name Type Built/refitted Length Breadth Crew Home port Citation
  AEGAEO Research vessel 1985/1997 61.51m 9.6m 21 Piraeus [5]
  PHILIA Fisheries research vessel 1986/1997 26.10m 7.25m 13 Heraklion [5]
  ALCYONE Survey vessel 2009 13.40m 3.7m 2 Rhodes [5]

Remotely operated vehicles

edit
Name Origin Constructor Type Weight Payload Max depth Mothership Citations
ROV Super Achille France COMEX Super Achille 120 kg 10 kg 1000 m AEGAEO or PHILIA [3][4]
ROV Max Rover USA Deep Sea Systems International Max Rover Mark II 850 kg 100 kg 2000 m AEGAEO or PHILIA [3][4]
ROV Seaeye Falcon UK Saab Seaeye Falcon 650 kg 16 kg 300 m ALCYONE [3]
ROV Seabotix LBV USA Seabotix LBV 200 12 kg 3 kg 200 m Any [3][4]

Facilities

edit
 
Cretaquarium, a public aquarium operated by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

TRITON marine research park

edit

The TRITON ultra-modern marine research park is the headquarters of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. It is a three-story building situated in Anavyssos and it houses 34 laboratories, 65 offices, a library, a computer centre, a 200 seats auditorium and two small conference rooms with a seating capacity of 30 to 40. In the facility the Research Institutes of Oceanography and of Inland Waters, the Educational Unit, the Maritime Service Unit and the Underwater Activities Unit are hosted.[6]

Agios Kosmas offices and laboratories

edit

It is a two-story building in the Agios Kosmas area of the Elliniko with offices and laboratories of the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Institute of Aquaculture. At the facility there are indoor tanks and an external space with outdoor ones.[7]

Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes

edit
Main article: Aquarium of Rhodes

The Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes is a research centre, a public aquarium and a museum located on the island of Rhodes. It is a very important research institute on physics, chemistry, biology and geology of the seas and the inner waters, at national and international level.[8] Some of its most famous exhibits include the embalmed body of a Cuvier's beaked whale; and a 2000 years old skeleton of a Mediterranean monk seal that was found inside a grave in an archaeological site at the port of Rhodes.[9]

Cretaquarium

edit
Main article: Cretaquarium

Cretaquarium is the largest public aquarium in Greece and it consists of 61 tanks with a total amount of 1.800.000 litres of water.[10] It is located in Gournes, near Heraklion in Crete.[11] Research is conducted at the aquarium by the constant observation of some of the animals living there with cameras, for the purpuse of studying their behavior and life cycle. Cretaquarium is also taking care of wounded or sick animals that are then reintroduced into the wild, in collaboration with local agencies and environmental organisations.[12]

Aqualabs

edit

The HCMR-Aqualabs-Cages infrastructure is the largest facility for marine experimental tanks in the Mediterranean; it consists of inland installations, net-pen cages and analytical laboratories.[12][13] In Aqualabs is conducted multidisciplinary research about the reproduction, development, nutrition, pathology and husbandry of many Mediterranean species, like the European seabass, the gilt-head bream and the sharpsnout seabream, as well as non-native species like the greater amberjack, the meagre and the Atlantic wreckfish.[13]

Research

edit
 
Automatic telemetric water quality and quantity measuring station of the IMBRIW

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research is conducting research mainly in the following areas:

Publications

edit

The Publications Department of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research is responsible for the publication of scientific articles, monographs, periodicals, textbooks, conference proceedings, workshops, brochures and other publications.[15] The publications of the HCMR include the:

Mediterranean Marine Science

edit
Main article: Mediterranean Marine Science

The journal Mediterranean Marine Science is a scientific journal that is issued in three volumes annually.[16] It focuses on aquatic science, oceanography, environmental engineering and ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics.[17]

Monographs on Marine Sciences

edit

Monographs on Marine Sciences is a non periodical scientific publication of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research. It consists of monographs focused on integral themes of marine sciences in general.[18]

Special publications

edit

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research makes special publications from time to time. So far, it has published two ebooks: the State of the Hellenic Marine Environment; published in 2005, and the State of Hellenic Fisheries; published in 2007.[19]

References

edit
  1. ^ "HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  2. ^ a b c "History". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "ROVs". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  4. ^ a b c d "Remotely Operated Vehicles". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  5. ^ a b c "R/Vs". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  6. ^ "Anavyssos". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  7. ^ "Ag. Kosmas". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  8. ^ "Rhodes". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  9. ^ "Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes". rhodes-aquarium.hcmr.gr. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "History | CretAquarium". www.cretaquarium.gr. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  11. ^ "How to get there | CretAquarium". www.cretaquarium.gr. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  12. ^ a b "The Research of Sea | CretAquarium". www.cretaquarium.gr. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  13. ^ a b "Aqualabs". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  14. ^ "Missions & Objectives". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  15. ^ "HCMR Publications". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  16. ^ "Mediterranean Marine Science". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  17. ^ "Journal profile for Mediterranean Marine Science". Source Details. Elsevier. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  18. ^ "Monographs on Marine Sciences". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  19. ^ "Special Publications". HCMR Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hellenic_Centre_for_Marine_Research&oldid=1252666603"