Infrastructure and services
The Archipelago Research Institute offers resources for research and education, dedicated especially in advancing our understanding related to the Archipelago Sea and the Baltic Sea. The research station is located on the island of Seili, serving as a hub for multidisciplinary research, teaching (e.g. field courses and summer schools), meetings, seminars and congresses, and independent travelers.
Our facilities and services for research and teaching
Our research infrastructure provides a wide range of resources to support research and education, related, for example, on marine and coastal ecosystems, wild fish stocks and experimental ecology. Our facilities are located at the heart of the Seili island, encompassing the historical main building and adjacent buildings. These facilities are designed to cater to a wide range of research and educational needs. The station’s infrastructure is available for students and researchers/research groups from all universities/research organizations, school groups and also for companies. The Archipelago Research Institute is part of the Finnish Marine Infrastructure Community (FINMARI) and Finnish Research Stations network.
- Facilities: We provide access to workrooms, laboratories, motorboats, field and laboratory equipment, and in- and outdoor experimental facilities with access to flow-through seawater. Long-term data is also available, for example, on weather, seawater quality (via e.g. automated water quality monitoring platform), and plankton community composition. The station also maintains an environmental biobank, containing various biological samples from the Archipelago Sea, the oldest samples being from the 1960s.
- Research Support: Our research station is equipped to support researchers and research groups, interested in working with various topics related to the archipelago and the Baltic Sea. We provide access to wide array of research equipment and services, please contact us for more information!
- Field Courses and School Groups: We offer facilities and equipment to enhance the learning experience for both university courses and school groups visiting the island.
- Travel Services: All travel services on the island, i.e. accommodation and restaurant services, are provided by an independent travel company Visit Seili. Please refer to their webpage for more information.
Laboratory Facilities and Research Equipment
In Seili, we offer a wide array of facilities, including lecture rooms, workrooms, field equipment, laboratories for basic and specialized analyses, and in- and outdoor aquaria and mesocosm facilities for experimental research, boat rental and transportation services as well as long-term data on various environmental parameters.
Accommodation and Catering Services:
All travel services on the island (i.e. accommodation, restaurant & cafe, saunas, guest harbour, guided tours) are provided by an independent travel company VisitSeili.
Access to Seili’s infrastructure
Access to ARI’s research facilities operates on a booking order basis. Please contact us via email: varaukset-seili@utu.fi for additional information and booking.
Price list and terms of use
Detailed information on the Archipelago Research Institute’s bench fees, rental prices, and associated terms of use can be found in the Institute’s comprehensive price list.
Research vessel and boat services
We provide both boat rental and transportation services to cater both groups and individual researchers. Our services are specifically designed to help with fieldwork in the Archipelago Sea area.
Pricing information and rental terms can be found in the Institute’s price list.
For more detailed information, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Research vessel r/v Aurelia
Our research vessel r/v Aurelia has been designed and purpose-built for conducting multidisciplinary research in shallow archipelago areas. With a maximum passenger capacity of 40, it offers a versatile platform for both research and teaching needs.
The vessel is operated by a skilled captain and a dedicated deck hand that ensure your safety and can also assist with your research and teaching activities. The crew has a wealth of experience supporting field work in the Archipelago Sea.
Technical information:
- Built in 1991.
- Overall length 18.1 meters
- Beam 5 meters.
- Draft 1.5 meters.
- Maximum speed 15 knots.
- Gross tonnage 5,8 tons.
- Outdoor working space (16,4 m2)
- Sampling deck (15,5 m2, lowered 0,7 meters closer to sea surface)
- Small laboratory/wet lab space (2,9 m2).
- Mess decks (9.2 (16 persons) and 5.1 m2)
- Winch (Hiab, 500kg),
- WC, fridge/freezer, drying cabinet, coffee/tea maker, 2 microwave ovens, toaster, gas cooker and utilities
- Access to fresh- and seawater
- The vessel is used mainly for day trips, but can accommodate 7 persons, if needed.
The station has various field equipment that are available for fieldwork onboard r/v Aurelia. For example,
- CTD sonde (RBR Concerto, salinity, temperature, DO, pH),
- Water samplers (Limnos, Ruttner) and hand-held probes (e.g. YSI Pro 30; Conductivity, Salinity, Specific Conductance, TDS, Temperature)
- Secchi-disks,
- ROVs (summer 2024),
- various sediment samplers/corers (e.g. GEMAX, Limnos, Van Veen),
- plankton nets (standard, closing, Manta, and Hydro-Bios MultiNet Mini nets, 20-335 um mesh sizes),
- Gulf V plankton sampler,
- Side scan sonar (Sonartech S-150Ai),
- Weather station
Minor Range 7600
The Minor Range 7600 boat was acquired by the Institute in 2023. The vessel is currently only available for boat transportation services (e.g. Seili-Nauvo and sampling trips in the Archipelago Sea), and is operated by a skilled captain.
- Length 7.5 m
- 160 hp
- Max. 8 passengers
Small Motorboats:
Researchers may rent small motorboats to conduct independent field work in the Archipelago Sea. The following boats are currently available:
- Faster 515 (60 hp, 6 passengers)
- Two Small Motorboats (5 hp)/rowing boats
See also
Collaboration network
