The nearly 6,500 kilometers of Chileʼs coastline had no protected areas for scientific research until 1982, when the Coastal Marine Research Station (in Spanish, ECIM) was created, allowing it to protect a 1 km-long section of coast with adjacent shallow marine habitat. ECIM has since become a world-class marine science center that includes the training of young professionals (national and international), outreach education for school-children, teachers, and the general public, as well as creating bonds with the local community.
The Coastal Marine Research Station has progressively built state-of-the-art infrastructure that today houses wellequipped wet and dry laboratories, scientific diving facilities, meteorological and oceanographic measuring stations, small research boat operations and remotely operated oceanexploration vehicles. In addition, the field station has teaching classrooms and laboratories, auditorium, conference rooms, offices, as well as dorm-like housing. It also has permanent administrative and academic staff.
