Colombia’s Coastal and Marine Research Institute INVEMAR Designated as IAEA Collaborating Centre

INVEMAR is a leading marine research hub in the Latin America and Caribbean region and it has worked closely with the IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratories to apply nuclear and isotopic techniques for ocean health for a number of years. Through sustained technical cooperation and scientific exchange, INVEMAR has demonstrated strong regional leadership in advancing evidence-based marine environmental management.

"The IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories are a vital partner in advancing marine science," said INVEMAR Director General Francisco Arias-Isaza. "Our designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre is a key step for INVEMAR. It builds on our many years of successful collaborations combining global expertise and cutting-edge research to better understand ocean health and develop solutions that protect marine ecosystems for the future."

As an IAEA Collaborating Centre, INVEMAR will research and monitor environmental stressors in marine ecosystems across the region. Spanning 2026 to 2030, the collaboration will include the assessment of marine pollution, ocean acidification, emerging contaminants, harmful algal blooms, microplastics and the evaluation of carbon storage in blue carbon ecosystems. These activities are key to strengthening regional capacity to understand ecosystem dynamics and support informed environmental management decisions.