Words from MERCI’s Director

Israel is essentially an island and the Mediterranean Sea is our lifeline – stretching ~180 km from the northern to the southern borders (and with the exclusive economic zone adding an area ~ 22000 square kilometers). Today, we rely on the Mediterranean for our drinking water, for energy in expansive deep-water fields, for food, and for the transport of >99% of our imports and exports. The unique Mediterranean ecosystem is also home to ~ 12000 different species forming marine food-webs that support human economies providing nutrition and natural marine products. 

Yet – this lifeline is threatened. The Mediterranean Sea region is one of the world’s most sensitive and responsive regions to climate change and extreme climate effects due to human impacts and the increasing footprint of human-based activities in coastal areas. Overfishing, agricultural, and industrial pollution, marine litter, degradation of critical habitats (> 500 million tourists per year by 2025) and a huge number of invasive or alien species cause a rapid decline in native species and threatens biodiversity.

I am excited to begin my role as the Director of the MERCI partnership as we head into a new phase of activity. MERCI is a diverse and unique partnership focusing on creating and facilitating cutting-edge marine science capacities for Israeli scientists working on the Mediterranean Sea.

The MERCI partnership will help address the array of scientific, technological, economic, security and environmental challenges and opportunities we are facing within the Mediterranean Sea and along Israel’s coastline.

• Accelerate and support marine research on a national level.
• Identify and prioritize the large knowledge gaps and issues surrounding Mediterranean Sea research that would benefit from joint investigations.
• Allow access to complex marine-based research infrastructures.
• Enable larger collaborations for major marine research including collaborations with industry/NGO’s/government to better understand the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem.
• Facilitate education and training on the Mediterranean Sea for the next generation of marine scientists.
• Provide a wide range of accessible scientific data required for stakeholders and help promote a strong scientific foundation of Mediterranean Sea research to the decision makers and the public.