The accelerated development in the waters within Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone has increased the importance of addressing the needs of Israeli academic and research communities studying the Mediterranean. The activities currently taking place in this field present many future opportunities for Israel. They also pose unprecedented challenges that require, first and foremost, the development of local expertise equipped to deal with the wide range of scientific, economic, social, environmental, and security implications of marine development.

MERCI was established in 2012. The organization is led by the University of Haifa and unites all the research universities in Israel, one college, and two national research institutes. The center received initial funding from the Planning and Budgeting Committee ( to be used towards infrastructure establishment. This budget was primarily invested in establishing the necessary infrastructure for advanced scientific research of the Mediterranean. The scientific community needs additional resources to enable ongoing, long-term research.

Its main needs are:

• Creating a long-term budget dedicated to research expeditions;
• Providing scholarships for all degrees in the field of marine science;
• Purchasing advanced technological equipment needed for the study of the deep sea, the continental shelf, and coastal waters (especially important given the major development taking place in them);
• Recruiting skilled engineering and technical teams with experience in operating the marine equipment and overseeing its funding.

A professional and skilled workforce is at the heart of research capabilities. Additionally, a dedicated budget is necessary for routine maintenance and operation of the equipment, which includes insurance coverage of the devices at sea, satellite communications, and dedicated laboratories. Unfortunately, unlike many other countries, Israel does not allocate adequate resources to address the challenges and opportunities in this important area, especially regarding the training needed to create a scientific and technological workforce infrastructure. Dong so would be strategically beneficial for Israel’s future.

Leading  the Study of the Mediterranean in Israel