HCMR, a highly active centre for marine research, currently consists of 3 institutes concerning oceanography, marine resources, inland waters, marine biology, genetics and aquaculture. The Centre has modern well-equipped facilities and works throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent seas. HCMR is responsible for the national monitoring for the fisheries data collection, the WFD and the new MSFD.

The Centre has been active in all the EU framework programmes, involved in numerous projects as coordinator or a partner including current 7FP DEVOTES, BENTHIS, and recent projects ODEMM, MEECE, CORALFISH, DEEPFISHMAN, MESMA, VECTORS as well as MARBEF, COST-IMPACT, PERSEUS, EFIMAS, Envi-EFH, NATURA 2000, ELME. It has experience working on, and issues concerning, various sensitve habitas relevent to the MERCES proposal. HCMR participants in the proposal are involved in studies on marine habitats, ecosystem functioning and impacts, biodiversity issues and biological resources management.