About the International Ocean Institute

St. Petersburg, Florida (Photo Courtesy of the city of St. Petersburg)

The International Ocean Institute (IOI), is an international non-governmental body with consultative status at the United Nations. Founded in 1972, as a knowledge-based non-governmental, non-profit international organization, among its greatest strengths are its training programs and capacity building programs for coastal communities. Through education, information dissemination, research programs and community initiatives, IOI’s network promotes sustainable use of the ocean and coastal resources.

IOI is presently configured as a 26-member network of Operational Centers from nations around the globe including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Malta, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, and the Ukraine. IOI’s headquarters are located in Valetta, Malta. The International Ocean Institute-USA (IOI-USA), located on the campus of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, is the only Operational Center that has been designated in the USA.  As in the case of IOI-USA, many of the other IOI operational centers partner with local universities.