INSTITUTO DO MAR

Their core work

Instituto do Mar is a public marine research body based in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), focused on fisheries science, ocean governance, and sustainable management of tropical and South Atlantic marine resources. Their work spans fish stock assessment, marine spatial planning, and climate-driven ecosystem prediction — all within the context of small island developing states and EU-Africa cooperation. They serve as a key African partner bridging European research frameworks with West African marine realities, particularly around tuna fisheries and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs).

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 projects (2017), Instituto do Mar focused heavily on applied fisheries science — stock assessment methods, decision support tools for tuna and mixed fisheries, and the policy mechanics of EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements. By their later projects (2019+), the focus broadened toward climate prediction, ecosystem services, marine spatial planning, and sustainable development in a wider tropical Atlantic context. This shift suggests a move from narrow fisheries management toward integrated ocean governance and climate-ocean interactions.

Instituto do Mar is evolving from a fisheries-focused institute toward broader ocean-climate research, making them increasingly relevant for projects linking food security, climate adaptation, and marine governance in the Global South.

How they like to work

Instituto do Mar never coordinates — they participate as a partner or third party in large international consortia (82 unique partners across 28 countries from just 4 projects). This is typical for a research body from a small island developing state: they bring irreplaceable local knowledge, field access, and regional networks rather than project management capacity. Working with them means gaining an authentic Cabo Verdean and West African marine research partner with deep institutional connections in the region.

Despite only 4 projects, Instituto do Mar has collaborated with 82 unique partners across 28 countries — a remarkably wide network driven by large EU-Africa consortia. Their geographic connections span Europe, West Africa, and Brazil, making them a connector between these regions.

What sets them apart

Instituto do Mar is one of very few H2020 participants from Cabo Verde, giving them a unique position as a gateway to West African marine research. Their location in the tropical Atlantic — at the crossroads of European, African, and South American ocean systems — makes them an essential partner for any project needing field presence, local data, or institutional relationships in the region. For consortium builders targeting EU-Africa marine or climate calls, they offer something no European lab can: ground truth from the tropics.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FarFish
  Directly addressed EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements with practical decision support tools for tuna and mixed fisheries — their largest funded project (EUR 62,160) and closest to their core mandate.
• TRIATLAS
  Their most recent and best-funded project (EUR 73,000), signaling their strategic pivot toward climate-driven marine ecosystem prediction across the tropical and South Atlantic.
• PADDLE
  A rare EU-Africa-Brazil trilateral project on marine spatial planning, positioning Instituto do Mar within a unique intercontinental research network.