The Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis" (INVEMAR) is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

and

coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

research institute A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often i ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, linked to the

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

. They edit the journal ''Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras'' (the ''Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research''). It is located in Playa Salguero, in

Santa Marta Santa Marta (), officially Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta ("Touristic, Cultural and Historic District of Santa Marta"), is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena ...

, and is named after José Benito Vives de Andréis, a well-known local politician involved different aspects of the city's development. Their institutional motto "Colombia 50% sea" refers to the extensive jurisdictional maritime area the country has. INVEMAR is currently led by director general Francisco Armando Arias Isaza, a navy officer and marine biologist with a PhD in Coastal Zone Management.

Purpose and function

The mission of INVEMAR is to carry out basic and applied research on the environment and renewable resources in marine and oceanic ecosystems of Colombia, to provide the scientific knowledge for the sustainable management of the resources, the recovery of the marine and protection of coastal ecosystems. Among its objectives are to advise other governmental agencies on the use of natural resources and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystem, to liaise with the

Ministry of Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

, and strengthen scientific and research capabilities in Colombia.

Research programs

Biodiversity and Marine Ecosystems

This program is in charge of the inventory of the marine and coastal biodiversity of Colombia. It also manages the Museum of Marine Natural History of Colombia Makuriwa.

Marine Environmental Quality

This program focuses on the impact of natural and anthropogenic activities on marine and coastal ecosystems.

Marine and Coastal Geoscience

This program studies geographical and physicochemical aspects of coastal and oceanic systems, and how they are influenced by Colombia's productive processes.

Valuation and Use of Marine and Coastal Resources

This program deals mainly with the sustainable use and production in coastal environments, and the application of related products in health and industry.

Public engagement and outreach

INVEMAR manages Makuriwa, the Museum of Marine Natural History of Colombia; its name comes from the Ikun language of the

Arhuaco The Arhuaco are an indigenous people of Colombia. They are Chibchan-speaking people and descendants of the Tairona culture, concentrated in northern Colombia in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Name The Arhuaco are also known as the Aruaco, Bi ...

indigenous populations. Their purpose is to share their research and knowledge about the Colombian coastal and oceanic ecosystems, to promote the rational use of resources by scientists, policy makers and the general public. They also engage the public using social media, through their Twitter and Instagram accounts.

References

External links

INVEMAR on TwitterINVEMAR on Instagram
Government agencies of Colombia Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Colombia) Environment of Colombia Government agencies established in 1993 Research institutes in Colombia Oceanographic organizations Santa Marta {{environmental-org-stub