The Centre is an independent public body, and is split into three departments. Founded in the late 1980s, the first and oldest of the departments focuses on marine biology, specialising in the study of corals.
It also hosts some very serious research into the socio-economic aspects of climate change.
The second, more recently established department (created in 2010 as part of an international associated laboratory) concentrates on polar biology.
It aims to identify the ecological processes which shape populations in polar ecosystems. This involves observing the evolutions, adaptation mechanisms and limits of organisms in the face of environmental constraints, using penguins as an indicator.
The third department, officially opened in 2013 at the behest of Prince Albert II, is dedicated to medical biology
It comprises a human health section, which develops research projects alongside Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG), the Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery (IM2S) and the Monaco Cardiothoracic Centre (CCM), an International Sickle Cell Disease Observatory, as well as four translational research teams (studying the metabolic properties of cancer cells, interactions between gut microbiota and the immune system, and therapies applied to neuromuscular disabilities).
