ICES claims the title as the oldest intergovernmental organization in the world concerned with marine and fisheries science. It is a leading scientific forum for the exchange of information and ideas on the sea and its living resources, and for the promotion and coordination of marine research by scientists within its member countries.

Since the 1970s, a major area of ICES work has been to provide information and advice to Member Country governments and international regulatory commissions on the protection of the marine environment and for fisheries conservation.

In support of these activities, the ICES Secretariat in Denmark maintains three databanks, the oceanographic databank, the fisheries databank, and the environmental (marine contaminants) databank.

The Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment (ACME) is the Council's official body for the provision of scientific advice and information on the marine environment, including marine pollution, to Member Countries, other bodies within ICES, and relevant regulatory Commissions.

Visit the ICES website.