Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

Naples, Villa Comunale, since 1872

Exploring the Mediterranean to understand and protect the global ocean

Explore the Mediterranean Sea to understand and protect the Global Ocean

The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn is among the world's leading research institutions in marine biology and ecology: five departments, seven territorial centres, more than 240 scientists and the oldest public aquarium in Europe still in operation.

  • 1872year of foundation
  • 5research departments
  • 7territorial centres
  • 240+scientists
  • 20+Nobel laureates hosted
  • 90,000volumes in the library

Research Departments

Research at the SZN is organised in five Departments: three focused on scientific research and two on technological research.

All research

News & Events

All news

Upcoming events

Events calendar

Hot Topics

A summary of the most recent research activities carried out in our laboratories.

Visit the Station

Three venues open to the public, between Naples and Portici, where research meets people.

  • Aquarium

    The oldest 19th-century aquarium still in operation, opened in 1874 and devoted to the fauna and flora of the Mediterranean.

    Book a visit
  • Darwin-Dohrn Museum

    Evolution and marine biodiversity in the Casina del Boschetto, Villa Comunale: artworks, historical specimens and a sperm whale skeleton.

    Discover DaDoM
  • Turtle Point

    The Sea Turtle Research Centre in Portici: care, rehabilitation and outreach in the largest facility of its kind in the Mediterranean.

    Visit Turtle Point

A national network for the sea

From its historic headquarters in Villa Comunale, Naples, the SZN now operates seven territorial centres along the Italian coasts.

  • NaplesVilla Comunale
  • IschiaIschia Marine Centre, Villa Dohrn
  • PorticiTurtle Point
  • RomeInterdepartmental institutional centre
  • FanoFano Marine Centre
  • GenoaGenova Marine Centre
  • BrindisiBrindisi Marine Centre
  • AmendolaraCalabria Marine Centre (CRIMAC)
  • Messina, Palermo, MilazzoSicily Marine Centre

Latest publications

All publications
  1. 17/07/2026Marine Science and Engineering

    Benthic Diatoms Differentially Regulate Apoptosis, Ferroptosis and Androgenic Gland Signaling Underlying Molecular Pathways of Sex Differentiation in Hippolyte inermis
  2. 17/07/2026Water Biology and Security

    Commercial product-derived microplastics based on polypropylene and polylactic acid and their harmful effects on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryos
  3. 17/07/2026Marine Pollution Bulletin

    Assessing the effect of microplastics on marine invertebrates: the consequence of exposure of sea urchin larvae to polystyrene microplastics
  4. 15/06/2026Springer Nature

    Making scientific publishing more balanced and reversing the current dangerous drift to better support global environmental conservation and planetary health
  5. 09/06/2026Journal of Xenobiotics

    Tissue-Specific Biomarkers and Bioaccumulation in Mytilus galloprovincialis: Seasonal Anthropogenic Stress in the North Ionian Sea
  6. 04/06/2026Polar Biology

    Heterogeneity in otolith microchemistry composition suggests multiple natal origins of Antarctic silverfish in the Ross Sea

Support research

Your contribution helps the SZN explore, understand and protect the sea.

The SZN is a member ofEuromarine — European Marine Research NetworkEuropean Marine Board