The Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas is a regional centre of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). This is an interdisciplinary scientific research institute devoted chiefly to marine biology, geology, anthropology, atmospheric physics and astronomy, and terrestrial ecology. Researches are done basically in the Subantarctic region around Tierra del Fuego and in the Antarctic. The main advantage of this institute is to have permanent researchers and PhD students working throughout the year in situ.

The Institute was established at the beginning of the 1980s and depends on the CONICET, the maximum scientific office of the federal government. The financing of the institute is covered by the CONICET and from the variable contributions of different sources obtained by each research project.

The CADIC is organized in different laboratories grouped in different research areas. The institute has 24 permanent researchers, 15 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers and 35 technical personnel. Authorities are the director and vicedirector.

The laboratory of Biology of Crustaceans has the experience in biological research on these organisms, specially those ofcommercial interest. Regulations for fishing king crabs in Argentina have been established after studies of this research group. Current research is mostly done in collaboration with the AWI-Germany and zhe University of Buenos Aires. Basic facilities for aquarium and temperature-controlled laboratories are available.