The Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) is a joint public research institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), located in Mallorca. Its mission is to advance understanding of the environmental processes that shape our planet and the organisms that inhabit it, while transferring scientific knowledge to society.
IMEDEA brings together specialists in ecology, microbiology, palaeontology, physics, oceanography, engineering, computer science and mathematics, creating a distinctive interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment. Its research focuses on marine, coastal and island ecosystems, the processes that determine their functioning, the organisms they support and their evolution, with particular attention to Mediterranean environments.
The institute addresses fundamental questions concerning life and ecosystem functioning by integrating physical, chemical and biological perspectives. It also investigates the effects of climate change and other human pressures, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem protection and the sustainable management of natural resources. Although firmly rooted in Mediterranean, coastal and island contexts, IMEDEA’s research has a clear international dimension and contributes to the understanding of global environmental change.
IMEDEA actively promotes the transfer of research results to society and supports evidence-based environmental management, particularly in the Balearic Islands. It also attracts scientific talent, trains new generations of researchers and promotes science as a tool for generating knowledge and responding to major environmental and societal challenges. Through these activities, IMEDEA aims to strengthen its position as a reference centre for the national and international scientific community and for environmental decision-making.