Citizen science
Jellyfish Inc.
Researchers and citizens working together to monitor, report and forecast jellyfish swarms along the Israeli coast.
AMBERApplied Marine Biology and Ecological Research · University of Haifa
Exploring the Eastern Mediterranean — from jellyfish and plankton to plastic pollution and nature-based solutions — led by Prof. Dror Angel.
Research pillars
Four pillars, with citizen science running through all of them: the national reporting project Meduzot Ba'am.
01
Jellyfish
We study swarm formation, seasonality and the ecological and economic effects of jellyfish along the Israeli coast.
02
Microplastics & Nanoplastics
We measure plastic particles in coastal waters, sediments and organisms, and follow their uptake through the food web.
03
Aquaculture & Environment
We examine how marine farms interact with their surroundings, including integrated multi-trophic aquaculture.
04
Climate & Nature-based Solutions
We work on coastal adaptation in a warming Levantine basin and on solutions that use natural processes.
Featured projects
Applied research spanning public observations at the coast, laboratory imaging and European collaboration.
European project
TRANSEATION
Hybrid blue-grey marine and coastal infrastructures, combining nature-based solutions with ecosystem-based management.
Ongoing
Microplastics
Integrated research on the identification, distribution and removal of microplastics from the environment and wastewater.
Research cruises
Plankton
Plankton sampling, quantitative microscopy and automated imaging during marine research cruises.
From sea to lab to community
AMBER Lab connects research cruises and coastal sampling with laboratory observation and citizen science involving pupils and the public. This continuum helps us understand changing marine systems — and turn evidence into action.
Based at the University of Haifa, the group collaborates with researchers, institutions and coastal communities in Israel and internationally.
By the numbers
- Years of research
- 25
- Peer-reviewed publications
- 140+
- International projects
- 12
- Citizen jellyfish reports
- 48,000+
The people behind the research
An interdisciplinary group led by Prof. Dror Angel, connecting marine ecology, technology, economics and public engagement.
Head of the AMBER Lab
Professor Dror Angel
Marine Ecology, Gelatinous Zooplankton, Microplastics, Mariculture
Professor Dror Angel is a marine ecologist with considerable experience in plankton and benthic studies, focusing mainly on invertebrates and on marine microbes. He has a passion for gelatinous zooplankton and an interest in what enables many of these taxa to form blooms.
Meet the research group
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Dor Edelist
Marine Ecology, Fisheries, Jellyfish
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Shirra Freeman
Environmental Economics
AMBER Lab Manager
Carmel Danino Gozlan
Field and laboratory operations, project management
Latest publications
Rhopilema nomadica in the Mediterranean: Molecular evidence for migration and insights into its proliferation
Kuplik, Z., Dror, H., Tamar, K., Sutton, A. et al. · Diversity · 2026
JellyfishDOI 10.3390/d18020094
A novel approach in oil spill detection, identification, and classification via multisource technologies and artificial intelligence
Avikasis Cohen, T., Angel, D.L., Brook, A. · The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLVIII-M-7-2025 · 2025
Microplastics & NanoplasticsDOI 10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-M-7-2025-305-2025
Into the wild: farm-derived energy and nutrients enter marine food webs with implications for aquaculture management
Callier, M.D., Filgueira, R., Byron, C.J., Brigolin, D. et al. · Reviews in Aquaculture · 2025
Aquaculture & Environment
In the press
Haaretz
Much more than jelly: perhaps we should stop fearing jellyfish and start learning from them
They have no brain, it is unclear what they feed on and nobody has ever seen how they develop at sea — yet they may well be of use to us. Israeli researchers, Prof. Dror Angel's group among them, dive into the sophisticated world of jellyfish (and get stung along the way).
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Ynet
Careful, there is plastic in the sea breeze
Researchers have found that the oceans emit tiny plastic particles originating in our own waste, which may enter the body through the respiratory system. The report places marine microplastic research — a core theme of the AMBER Lab — in an everyday coastal context.
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NoCamels
Could jellyfish rid our waters of plastic waste? Israeli scientists are on it
University of Haifa researchers, including Prof. Dror Angel's group, are part of the international GoJelly effort to develop a jellyfish mucus based filter that could help minimise microplastics in marine environments and in wastewater.
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Explore our publications, take part in citizen science or contact us about research collaboration.