During the course of its operation , the laboratory has developed as the most complete university teaching and research center in the field of Marine Sciences in Greece. Its research interests include marine geology, physical oceanography, marine pollution, coastal protection and management, paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, priority habitat mapping, environmental oceanography, marine geoarchaeology, fluid geochemistry and fluid flows in the water column.
The aims of Oceanus-Lab are the exploration, assessment and preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Greek seas and the Mediterranean. To achieve these goals, the laboratory participates in a large number of European, international and national funding programs and is in permanent collaboration with national and international scientific institutions, universities and non-governmental organizations.
The lab has carried out numerous oceanographic expeditions both in the Greek Archipelagoes and in the Mediterranean Sea (Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, Corsica) in collaboration with Universities and Research Centers of Europe and the US.
Oceanus-Lab focuses on training young scientists. The laboratory trains the undergraduate students of the Department of Geology and Biology students of the University of Patras as well as postgraduate students studying in the Postgraduate Programs of the University of Patras, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Laboratory is a founding member of the Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program in "OCEANOGRAPHY - Exploration, mapping and management of the marine environment". In addition, a number of researchers prepared or are currently preparing their doctoral thesis in the laboratory, while students from foreign universities are trained through student exchange and international collaboration programs.
The dissemination of information derived from research results is an important activity of the laboratory. Research results are published in reputable scientific journals, scientific publications, books and announcements at international and national scientific conferences. In addition, Oceanus-Lab collaborates with civic associations, non-governmental groups, local community stakeholders as well as primary and secondary education institutions in order to raise awareness about and drive decision-making on issues related to the marine environment.