The University of Tartu is represented by the Estonian Marine Institute, which is the leading marine research institution in Estonia. Main activities include marine environmental monitoring, fish stock assessments as well as basic scientific research in the fields of marine ecology, oceanography, fish ecology, marine optics and marine chemistry. In many specific fields of marine science, UTARTU is the leading research institution in the Baltic Sea region and collaborates with many research establishments in the field of various marine science disciplines in the framework of international research projects and networks of excellence. UTARTU is involved in activities of international scientific and management bodies such as as ICES and HELCOM.