Scientific projects

This is a veterinary hospital centre that cares for the sick animals that reach our coasts. It opened in 2003 and offers veterinary healthcare, mainly to injured and beached turtles and marine mammals. Its objective is to provide them with treatment to allow their rehabilitation so they can be reintroduced to their habitat.

In 2012 the Oceanogràfic team discovered that turtles were susceptible to Decompression Sickness (DCS) when trapped in fishing nets. This finding, greatly acknowledged internationally, is a research challenge as it undoes the scientific belief that marine animals cannot suffer DCS.

This project studies the effects of apnoea during diving on different aspects, such as metabolism, cardiorespiratory function, and generally on animals’ health and welfare.

Dolphins are considered a sentry species for the ecosystem’s health. Following them up and observing them not only provide in-depth knowledge about this species, but also allow us to evaluate the status of seas.

This pilot project takes a new approach in the field of conserving sea floors by involving all the actors related with them: researchers, public administrations, local stakeholders and citizens. The idea is to develop tools to comprehensively assess and conserve with all stakeholders.

The European eel is a species that is classified as being in critical danger of extinction. Nonetheless, its breeding in captivity is no simple task because it does not spontaneously reproduce. This project centres on developing techniques to allow it to be bred in captivity given its imminent risk of extinction, which also applies to other eel species.