MARE is a multipolar RD&I Centre, presently with seven poles, six of them located at higher education campus in Portuguese mainland, respectively University of Coimbra (MARE-UCoimbra), Polytechnic of Leiria (MARE-IPLeiria), University of Lisbon (MARE-ULisboa), NOVA University of Lisbon (MARE-NOVA), ISPA (MARE-ISPA), and University of Évora (MARE-UÉvora), plus one pole in the Madeira archipelago (MARE-Madeira).

MARE combines expertise allowing approaching scientifically and technologically all types of aquatic systems, from river basins and associated landscapes, to estuaries, coastal, and large marine ecosystems.