The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (Instituto Español de Oceanografía, IEO) is a public research institution of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Innovation (MINEICO)

MISSION (A good research for a sound advice)

• OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH, including marine pollution, fisheries and aquaculture, ensuring a sustainable exploitation of renewable marine resources and coastal commodities:
• ADVICE to the Spanish Government on its oceanographic and fishery policies.
• INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION of Spain in international marine science and fisheries organisations, such as ICES and IOC.
• COOPERATION in marine research at the regional, national and international levels.
• TRAINING marine researchers and disseminating oceanographic knowledge.

Two IEO groups with complementary expertise are located in Galicia, where aquaculture and the impact of harmful algae blooms have a great socioeconomic importance:

• The Modelling Group at IEO-Coruña, (http://www.ieo.es/coruna) which has adapted the ROMS model to a forecast system for the shelf, slope and adjacent waters off N-NW Iberia, included in IBIROOS….
• The Harmful Microalgae Group (vgohab.org) at IEO-Vigo (http://www.ieo.es/vigo) with a long experience in taxonomy, ecophysiology, toxinology and population dynamics of harmful microalgal species.