Landmarks
Photo Gallery

1966. Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR) was established by a decision of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, within the National Council for Research and Development, and a few months later became a Governmental Corporation. Admiral Yohay Ben-Nun, IOLR founder, was appointed Director General, served in that post until 1982 and then as Chairman of the Board of Directors until his death in 1994.

1967. A fishing vessel was purchased and turned into a research vessel ("SHIKMONA") thus initiating modern Israeli oceanographic research in the Mediterranean.

1968. The Kinneret Limnological Laboratory was established at Tabha, on the shore of Lake Kinneret; the "HERMONA" a research vessel for work on the lake was purchased and routine monitoring of the lake began.

1970. Beginning of construction of the National Institute of Oceanography at Tel-Shikmona, Haifa (completed in 1976).

1971. IOLR's Mariculture Laboratory was established at Eilat, on the campus of the Marine Biology Laboratory of the Hebrew University.

1972. The Fisheries Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, the pioneering organization for marine research in Israel, was integrated into IOLR.

1980. Beginning of construction of the National Center for Mariculture in Eilat, successor of IOLR's Mariculture Laboratory (completed in 1982).

1981. Beginning of cooperation in marine research between IOLR and Egyptian research institutions, the first scientific cooperation between Israel and an Arab country.

1982. Dr. Colette Serruya, formerly Director of the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, was appointed Director General of IOLR.

1982. The new R/V SHIKMONA replaced IOLR's old research vessel in the Mediterranean

1984. The Kinneret Limnological Laboratory was named after Yigal Allon.

1987. Dr. Yuval Cohen was appointed Director General of IOLR.

1990. Construction of the North Wing of the National Center for Mariculture.

1992. The fish hatchery of ARDAG (a consortium of 5 Kibbutzim in the southern Negev) was built in Eilat – first commercial implementation of the fish reproduction technology developed at the National Center for Mariculture.

1998. A new wing was built at the National Institute of Oceanography. The Institute building was dedicated in memory of Yohay Ben-Nun.

1998. A yacht was purchased and converted into a research vessel ("Etziona") especially adapted for coastal water research.

2001. The Israel Marine Data Center was established at the national Institute of Oceanography.

2003. Two new vessels were purchased for Lake Kinneret research and monitoring ("Lillian" and "Hermona").

2004. The old building of the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory was expanded and renovated. The laboratory space was doubled with the construction of a second story.

2005. Dr. Barak Herut was appointed Director General of IOLR.

2006. Establishing a pilot plant for testing, on a semi-commercial scale, the innovative technology for environmentally friendly, land-based mariculture technology developed at the National Center for Mariculture.

2007. Founding the “Hall” Mapping Archive at the National Institute of Oceanography