The Centre for Oceanographic Research in the Eastern South Pacific (COPAS) at the University of Concepción is a public non-profit Institution funded by the Chilean Fund for Advanced Research in Priority Areas (Centers of Excellence FONDAP) of the National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICYT). Two additional universities are associated institutions of this Centre, the Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia and the Universidad del Mar in Viña del Mar. The aim of the Centre is to promote the multidisciplinary work of an important team of oceanographers, most of them from the Universidad de Concepción, which has reached significant levels of scientific development and productivity and is capable of making an important contribution toward the solution of problems related to the country’s development. The COPAS will tackle the oceanographic problems with excellence, in a multidisciplinary fashion and with longterm financing. The education at the doctor and postdoctoral levels is a very important component of the Center. A number of national and international cooperation agreements help financing COPAS, besides CONICYT, our own institution and the above mentioned associated institutions, the generous contribution of the Fundación Andes, the MECESUP Programme of the Ministry of Education are to be mentioned. FONDAP-COPAS Centre focuses its main multi- and interdisciplinary research on the physical, biogeochemical, ecological and paleoceanographic processes that occur in the systems of the Eastern South Pacific (ESP) region. Its scientific goals in the medium-term (5 years) are: i) to analyze and understand the impact of the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) cycle and other large scale phenomena in the region and its feed-back on the climatic system, ii) to study the structure and function of the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) and its impact on the climatic system, and iii) to identify the role that the Antarctic Intermediate Waters (AAIW) play in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the region and its modification due to the global climate change. Among its interests with social impact the COPAS favours the collaboration with national and foreign scientists, and with international organizations in the achievement of the goals. Besides the normal educational activities of a FONDAP Centre, also inherent to its nature is a robust outreaching and information transference program both to decision and policy makers as well as to the general public and students at all levels on oceanographic and climate issues.

Homepage:

www.copas.cl