Recent discoveries of significant reserves of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel have catapulted the Mediterranean Sea into the international spotlight and onto Israel’s national agenda.

MERCI – Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel is a consortium of seven universities, one college and two governmental research institutes, working under the leadership of the University of Haifa, to address an unprecedented array of scientific, technological, economic, security, and environmental challenges and opportunities resulted from the rapid development of the Eastern Mediterranean offshore.

MERCI focuses on:

• Developing the modern, scientific infrastructure needed to study the coastal and offshore Eastern Mediterranean
• Educating a new generation of scientists and researchers who will serve as Israel's decision makers in academia, the government, industry and NGOs
• Ensuring sustainable development of Israel’s national resources in the Eastern Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel’s activities set Israel on the path to academic excellence and sustainable energy independence.