Israel Marine Data Center ISRAMAR

Overview

The Israel Marine Data Center (ISRAMAR) is Israel's national repository for oceanographic and marine environmental data. Established in December 2000 at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR) institute in Haifa, ISRAMAR serves as the central hub for acquiring, archiving, and distributing data related to Israel's marine, coastal, and inland aquatic environments. It is part of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), located at Tel Shikmona on the Mediterranean coast of Haifa.

History and Institutional Context

ISRAMAR was established in 2000–2001 within IOLR, a national non-profit governmental research institution founded in 1967 and affiliated with the Earth Sciences Research Administration of Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructures. IOLR conducts research in oceanography, limnology, mariculture, and marine biotechnology, and operates three centers: the National Institute of Oceanography in Haifa, the Yigal Allon Kinneret Limnological Laboratory near Tiberias, and the National Center for Mariculture in Eilat. ISRAMAR functions as the data management unit for the National Institute of Oceanography.

Collections and Data Holdings

ISRAMAR's holdings include time-series oceanographic measurements from the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aqaba, biological and chemical monitoring data, sediment and geological records, and satellite-derived data. The center maintains near-real-time data from monitoring stations including the Shikamona coastal station. It is a registered participant in the SeaDataNet European marine data network and contributes to EDMO (European Directory of Marine Organisations). ISRAMAR also maintains the ISRAMARBIO biological data archive.

Access

ISRAMAR's data is accessible through its website at isramar.ocean.org.il, with historical time-series data available via the site's database interface.