Our Story
The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat (IUI) is one of Israel’s most unique and important research institutions – a place where science, vision, and heritage meet. Here, on the shores of the Red Sea, a legacy of scientific determination, groundbreaking interuniversity collaboration, and world-class research excellence continues to thrive, recognized both nationally and internationally.
From Vision to Reality – The Early Years
The institute’s origins date back more than a century, to 1919, when Dr. Walter Steinitz published a comprehensive vision and plan to establish a marine biology research station in the Land of Israel. Dr. Steinitz, a renowned zoologist, recognized the immense potential of marine research to advance science, strengthen the economy, and deepen ecological understanding of the region.
This vision was carried forward by his son, Prof. Heinz Steinitz of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – a world-leading zoologist and marine biologist. Heinz viewed the Gulf of Eilat, at Israel’s southernmost tip, as an unparalleled “natural laboratory”: a region with extraordinary biodiversity, distinct from the Mediterranean, and a key biogeographic junction linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its unique location offered rare opportunities to study marine species migration, climate change effects, and complex ecological processes in a living, dynamic environment.
He also recognized the environmental threats facing the Gulf’s delicate ecosystems – from pollution, port activity, and shipping traffic – and believed that a dedicated marine research station could serve as a vital tool for monitoring, studying, and safeguarding these precious marine resources.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Heinz devoted years to building international scientific relationships, meticulously planning the station’s facilities, and learning from dozens of marine laboratories worldwide. His goal was to establish in Eilat a modern, well-designed research hub that could operate at the highest international standards.
From a Laboratory to a National Marine Research Hub
The vision became reality in 1968 with the inauguration of the Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) of the Hebrew University in Eilat. Three years later, following Prof. Steinitz’s sudden passing, the laboratory was named in his honor.
In its early years, the MBL quickly became a center of vibrant scientific activity. Comprehensive surveys and pioneering research were conducted in the coral reefs of Eilat and Sinai, in the open sea, and across a wide range of marine disciplines. These projects, carried out in collaboration with Israeli and international institutions, led to groundbreaking findings in coral biology and ecology, fish studies, biogeochemistry, microbiology, and marine pathology.
During this period, the MBL also hosted the Mariculture Research Center of the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, where scientists achieved the world’s first domestication of the Sparus aurata sea bream – now one of the most commercially important marine fish globally. The laboratory attracted researchers from around the world and became home to many graduate students completing their M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses.
The breadth of disciplines, research achievements, and extensive collaborations led in 1984 to a historic decision by Israel’s Council for Higher Education: to transform the laboratory into the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences – the only academic institution in Israel jointly owned and operated by all research universities in the country. This shift reflected the understanding that marine science is inherently interdisciplinary and requires national-scale collaboration, shared knowledge, and joint use of advanced facilities.
The transformation was made possible by an extraordinary act of academic generosity: the Hebrew University, the sole owner of the facility, opened it to all other universities in Israel. This created a unique model for shared resource management and optimal use of scientific infrastructure in a country with limited resources.
A National and International Center of Excellence in Marine Science
Today, the IUI is home to researchers from Israel and across the globe, graduate students, and multinational scientific collaborations. The institute operates one of the most advanced marine research infrastructures in the region, including dedicated research vessels, unique seawater experimental systems, modern laboratories, and unparalleled access to one of the world’s most outstanding coral reef systems – directly from the shoreline.
As a center of national and international excellence, the IUI supports research in a wide array of fields: marine biology and ecology, physical and chemical oceanography, biogeochemistry, marine conservation, and even engineering and industrial design in marine contexts. The combination of a strategic location, advanced facilities, a diverse scientific community, and a strong international network positions the institute at the forefront of global marine science.
From a small, remote research outpost to a thriving, globally respected hub, the Interuniversity Institute continues to honor and expand upon the vision of its founders – advancing scientific knowledge, training the next generation of marine scientists, and serving as a proud ambassador of Israeli research excellence on the world stage.