Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences

Founded in 1975, the Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences (METU IMS) is one of Türkiye's leading marine research institutions and an internationally recognized center of excellence in marine science. Located on the Mediterranean coast in Erdemli, Mersin, the Institute offers graduate education in Oceanography, Marine Biology and Fisheries, and Marine Geology and Geophysics.

METU-IMS conducts interdisciplinary research across a broad range of fields, including the blue economy, climate change, polar research, fisheries and aquaculture, conservation genetics, deep-sea research, ocean literacy, astrobiology, conservation biology, marine pollution, marine biodiversity, and Digital Twin Ocean technologies. The Institute is actively engaged in regional, national, European, and international research programmes, with a strong track record of coordinating and contributing to high-impact collaborative projects while securing competitive research funding.

Through state-of-the-art marine research, long-term monitoring, modelling, research vessel operations, awareness-raising activities, and science-based policy support, METU-IMS contributes to addressing major challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, the sustainable blue economy, and the conservation and sustainable management of marine ecosystems in Turkish seas and beyond.

For over five decades, METU-IMS has built strong partnerships with leading research institutions around the world, advancing marine science through international collaboration, innovation, science diplomacy, and evidence-based marine governance.