News from the media
A new Tel Aviv University study conducted in collaboration with the Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel examined the level of microplastic pollution along Israel’s coastline. The researchers collected sand samples from six beaches, from Haifa to Ashkelon. The research findings revealed that the Israeli shoreline is contaminated with more than two million tons of microplastics, with the most polluted beaches being those of Tel Aviv and Hadera.
Prof. Tchernov tells Haaretz that the only lifeline humans have for survival is our seas and oceans which can, not only provide potable water, food, and energy, but can also be utilized to understand the rate of climate change.
Prof. Tchernov is Head of the Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel and the Scientific Director at the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station
The collaboration is the biggest research project to date and will map the marine mammal population in a little-explored area of Israel’s stretch of the Mediterranean Sea that is planned for gas and oil exploration.
Dr. Aviad Scheinin, head of Marine Apex Predator Lab at the Charney School, will lead the research, which will combine observation with the use of hydrophones to acoustically identify the mammals.
Over 2,500 years ago a Greek general identified the link between quakes and tsunamis, but how often have tsunamis plagued the Mediterranean? An expert tells us how to identify mega-waves of the distant past – and the future risks
|16.11.21
A sandbar shark was discovered to have traveled the furthest out of the Mediterranean Sea than has ever been recorded before.
Researchers at University of Haifa’s Leon H. Charney Marine Sciences School tagged a shark that they nicknamed Hagay and tracked his journey to Sicily.
|27.07.21
The volcanic eruption of Santorini rocked the Mediterranean and changed history. Now there is crucial—and chilling—new information about the Bronze Age cataclysm.
|12.08.21
Researchers found a deep-water nursery filled with a large amount of shark eggs that they believe could have important implications for understanding climate change. “This was happening under our noses for thousands of years, right next to Tel Aviv, one of the largest cities in Israel,” said Dr. Yizhaq Makovsky, Head of the Applied Marine Exploration Lab at the Charney School. The discovery was featured in The Daily Mail.
|13.07.21
“Unprecedented discoveries led by University of Haifa scientists could transform our understanding of climate change and global sustainability,” according to the latest “Editor’s Pick” in Forbes Magazine. The magazine article featured high-profile studies underway at the Charney School, including the discovery of the largest concentration of small sharks and shark eggs ever found off the coast of Israel and participation in the CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) Project (More on UofH’s role in the CETI Project in the 2021 President’s Report). These and many other marine research projects, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, focus on the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans and seas.
|21.01.21
Red-mouthed rock shell was one of main sources of Tyrian purple and study blames its collapse on rising sea temperatures
|5.08.19
The Cyprus Institute (CyI) and the Mediterranean Sea Research Center of Israel (MERCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
With the signing of the MoU, CyI and MERCI will cooperate in common fields of activity to promote and develop marine research in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an emphasis on monitoring and research of the impacts of climate change on the marine environment, on deep sea archaeology, and on monitoring and research examination of the impacts of hydrocarbon exploration and drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
|5.08.19
A consortium of universities, headed by strategically-located University of Haifa, wins tender to establish: National Center for Mediterranean Sea Research. The Israel Center for Mediterranean Sea Research will investigate and research oil and gas extraction, desalination, infrastructure, and more. President of the University of Haifa, Prof. Aaron Ben-Ze’ev: “The sea is a strategic asset for Israel and by developing it the country will achieve economic independence.”
DAVID WARREN | 14.12.2015
Marine station will be first of its kind in region; ‘They don’t call it “startup nation” for nothing,’ says chancellor
Ocean News
The University says that having no other technological platform like it in Israel, the Leopard will be a key resource for a new deep-sea research centre which opened recently.
The purchase was enabled thanks to the generous support of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to the University of Haifa. The ROV will serve the entire marine research community in Israel through the national consortium of universities, colleges and government research institutes called the “Mediterranean-Sea Research Center of Israel” (MERCI).
