Institute for Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro marks its 60th Anniversary
In the year behind us, notwithstanding the pandemic and other obstacles that arose in the work of the Institute for Marine Biology, the Institute carried out regularly all activities - international and national research, participation at professional seminars and meetings, and publishing of scientific papers points out the Institute Director Aleksandar Joksimović. In the jubilee year they are particularly proud of publishing two international monographs by the renowned publishing house SPRINGER NATURE: "We realized and rounded off this research-work opus by dealing with the issue of marine biology and chemical and other pollution of our part of the Adriatic Sea. Also, as it is already well-known, the focus is on the first Centre for Protection of Biodiversity of the Adriatic – Boka Aquarium, a completely new facility of the Institute and the University, which opened its doors for visitors on June 10”, said Joksimović.
In addition to fundamental research, the Institute for Marine Biology also performs numerous applied research for the needs of protection of the environment, flora and fauna, marine fisheries, Mariculture, sea chemistry, integral management of coastal areas, after which these results find their use in practice, through various documents, reports, strategies. What makes us particularly proud is the participation of associates of the Institute in the process of preparation and research for establishment of the first marine protected areas in Montenegro, which was implemented by the Ministry of Environment Protection, Spatial and Urban Planning, as well as cooperation with other institutions, non-government organizations and fishermen.
"Six decades of the Institute and everything achieved during that time by the scientists from this house, connecting Kotor and Montenegro with the great part of Europe and the world, gives significant credibility to the institution. We expect full support for our Institute in the forthcoming period by the state and political entities of our society, above all of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Ministry of Environment Protection, Spatial and Urban Planning, Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, municipality Kotor and the Government of Montenegro itself. We are starting the seventh decade more decisive and we will invest additional efforts to make Institute an inevitable address for all issues related to marine ecosystem of Montenegrin seaside and Southern Adriatic, its research, protection as well as recommendations for its sustainable use. Our objective is to make the Institute a referent national Institute for research and protection of the sea, which would crown all that was done in the past six decades. Both in the past and today its greatest power are its people, scientists who research Southern Adriatic building themselves into the process of development of the science of the sea in Montenegro," is the message of the director of the Institute Dr. Aleksandar Joksimović.
The Institute carries out scientific-research activities within five Laboratories and one Centre, so we focus on development of science, research and innovation. Already existing and future scientific-research teams of the Institute will create new ideas, new project applications, they will connect strategically and join with the target teams from other organizational units of the University and with universities in the region and wider, forming multidisciplinary teams for future Centres of Excellence. The existing connections with similar institutions of European Research Area and wider will be strengthened and widened. The established partnership, is a certain way and contribution for realization of European Research Area, and also an excellent mechanism for using European funds for science and research. Strengthening of research capacities will be a priority activity in the forthcoming period, through evaluation and identification of the most productive research teams and individuals. One part of the activity is dedicated to pedagogical and educational activities, so we will continue to organize the stay of Biology students from the University to the region, in order to include field and laboratory work and teaching in the field of Marine Biology.
“The Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro is a lighthouse that has been shedding light on our submarine for six decades and revealing the deepest and most hidden secrets of the sea depths. Searching for the truth about life in eternal blue silences, we discovered elements of short existence on transient surfaces. The ultimate finding – the man is only a thread, deeply woven into the mother nature, without the alternitive of surviving without it – emphasized Dr. Joksimovic.
On the occasion of the jubilee of "60 years of IBM", it was decided that this year there will be no celebration, but the funds will be given for humanitarian purposes, to institutions that need it. "We think it is much more useful, and we will have time for the celebrations when the Covid-19 pandemic passes and when we return to normal life," Joksimovic concluded.