The Millennium Institute of Oceanography is a center of excellence that was born in December 2013 with the aim of studying the physical, biogeochemical and ecological processes of the open sea, as well as the exploration of the deep and abyssal ocean, which includes pelagic ecosystems associated with seamounts, oceanic islands and the Atacama trench.
The Institute was created through the Millennium Scientific Initiative of the Ministry of Economy, Economic Promotion and Tourism, whose objective is to increase Chilean scientific and technological competitiveness, understood as the capacity to generate, adapt, contextualize and apply new scientific and technological knowledge in favor of the social and economic development of the country.
With the objective of leading exploration of the southeastern Pacific Ocean, the Millennium Institute of Oceanography has a strong component of national and international collaboration and currently is planning diverse oceanographic expeditions oriented to discovery and proving hypothesis on board the new scientific ship Cabo de Hornos.
The mission of the Millennium Institute of Oceanography is:
To conduct pioneering and interdisciplinary research in oceanography, addressing scientific problems in an integral and collaborative manner.
To develop and apply new technologies and platforms for observation and experimental work in the ocean, including the use of the new Chilean research vessel Cabo de Hornos to reach unexplored areas of the South Pacific.
To increase human resources in ocean sciences in Chile and South America through higher education and training in research based on direct observation and experimentation in the sea.
To inform and create awareness among the general public and decision-makers about the importance of the ocean, its conservation and its relationship to human being and global change.
We aspire to become an internationally recognized institute in oceanographic research and education, leading exploration in the central and southeastern area of the Pacific Ocean, with impact on the country and society in general.
Our commitment is to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for the generation and dissemination of scientific knowledge that generates new understanding about the ocean from a creative, daring and collaborative perspective.
