About Us
Faculty of Marine Sciences
The Faculty of Marine Sciences at the Ruppin Academic Center seeks to understand the sea and to use it as a sustainable resource. We stand at the forefront of research of climate change, marine agriculture, and ecology in Israel.
We offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. Ruppin is the only institute of higher education in Israel that awards a BSc in Marine Sciences. It also offers an MSc in Marine Sciences and a MA in Marine Resources Management. Our students go through one of the most demanding study programs in Israel and are in high demand in the market.
The campus of the Faculty of Marine Sciences is located at Michmoret, on the shores of the Mediterranean. The direct access to the sea creates unique learning and research opportunities. It has the only running seawater laboratory in Israel. This lab pumps directly filtered and unfiltered seawater as well as fresh well water throughout the year. The marine organisms are housed in special pools and aquaria with circulating sea water. The faculty has top-of-the-line biology, chemistry, molecular biology and natural product labs.
The faculty has its own marina and its own research vessel, called Daphna, which has the ideal equipment for teaching and researching marine sciences. Finally, The Alexander estuary meanders alongside the campus, and provides an open-air laboratory for river ecosystem restoration.
Our undergraduate program holds two, three-year study tracks: Marine Biotechnology and Marine & Environmental Sciences. These are comprised of basic science courses, such as high-level mathematics, physics, and chemistry, as well as a broad spectrum of courses in biology with an emphasis on marine sciences. Both study tracks offer professional maritime studies (that come with scientific diving and skipper license certifications). The programs also focus on practical science through extensive laboratory practicums, and on conducting an independent research project for third-year students.
Our MA program in Marine Resources Management focuses on understanding marine-related natural and social sciences, economics, decision-making, behavior, law and institutions, and ethics, linked to the better use of marine resources. It provides students with the multidisciplinary academic training necessary to bridge the gap between marine sciences and policy, and to function confidently and effectively in professional resource management positions.
Our MSc program in Marine Sciences is a two-year program focusing on research projects under the supervision of a senior faculty member.
Research at the Faculty of Marine Sciences consists of all aspects of marine sciences. It is multidisciplinary and involves collaborative efforts of multiple scientists and institutes, both in Israel and abroad. We also engage in research with leading mariculture entrepreneurs in Israel, such as with aquaculture, conservation biology, and marine natural products. Faculty and students publish in the best journals winning prestigious research grants.
Future Plans
In 2021, the Ruppin Academic Center and Haifa University reached an agreement to establish a National Center for the Study of the Sea and its Physical and Human Environment. The new center will focus on climate, marine resources, and their sustainable use by humans. We intend to make this a hub for scientists, environmental activists and decision makers for creating a responsible long-term sea policy for the state of Israel and the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
