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The National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS

The OGS is a public research institution whose founding statute assigns it the task of “promoting, coordinating and conducting study and research concerned with knowledge of the earth and its resources, where possible in collaboration with other relevant national, international, Community and foreign institutions”.

Its origins can be traced as far back to the middle of XVIII century, when Her Majesty Maria Theresia von Habsburg, asked to the Jesuit Fathers established a School of Astronomy and Navigation. Since then a series of reorganisations have brought it to its present form as a National Institute..

The Institute´s name has been changed many times: Imperial-Regia Accademia di Commercio e Nautica (1817), Osservatorio Metereologico (1841), Osservatorio Marittimo (1903), Istituto Geofisico di Trieste (1921), Istituto Talassografico di Trieste (1941, later with the adding of the seismic station of Trieste it became Osservatorio Geofisico in 1949), Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale di Trieste (1958), Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale (1989). The present name is Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale.

Named Osservatorio Geofisico Sperimentale until 1989, its roots go back to the second half of 18th century.
Its mission is to promote, co-ordinate and perform, also in collaboration with other national, international, and European institutions, studies and research on the Earth and its resources. Moreover, the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), can use the OGS for supporting and co-ordinating the Italian participation to international entities, projects and initiatives in oceanography and applied geophysics.

The OGS activities are carried out by the departments of:

Geophysics of the Lithosphere (GDL),

Oceanography (OGA),

Seismology (CRS),

Development of Marine Technology Research (RIMA),

Biological Oceanography (BIO).
These departments are also supported by:

Center for Informatic and Telematic Services (CESIT),

Promotion and International Collaboration (PECIB).

The Institute belongs to the foremost international networks linking centres of excellence and is able to implement technological research and development projects requiring complex organisations and the use of large-scale infrastructure..
Its most precious piece of equipment is the research ship OGS-Explora, acquired in 1988 for the National Antarctic Research Programme.