Dr. Petros Pavlakis joined the Institute of Oceanography (IO) of the HCMR in 1985 and since 2005 is Research Director.

He holds a Diploma in Physics (1980) from the University of Athens, a MSc degree in Applied Geophysics (1982) from the University of Birmingham and a Phd in Marine Geophysics (1992) from the University of Athens.

During 1993-95, he carried out his Postdoctoral Thesis on radar microwave scattering from the sea surface, at the Advanced Techniques Unit of the Space Applications Institute of the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission. He has been also Seconded National Expert during 1999-2001, of the Detection and Positioning Unit of the Institute of Systems Informatics and Safety of the same Center, where he has been Principal Investigator of a number of research projects, promoting the use of radar remote sensing in monitor maritime activity and oil spill pollution in the European Seas.

His pioneering work in this field has been the forerunner of EMSA's CleanSeaNet operational service. Yet, during 2008-09 he served as Senior Researcher at the Maritime Affairs Unit of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen of the JRC, where he led research efforts related to the monitoring of maritime pollution in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea regions. During his service at the IO of the HCMR, he supported the geophysical technology development of the Marine Geology & Geophysics sector and for his efforts in this field he earned an honorable mention by the Board of Governors.

He participated in several research projects, related to a wide spectrum of marine geophysical research, including the general marine geophysical and bathymetric mapping of the Aegean Sea, tectonic/geodynamic and paleo-oceanographic studies, coastal vulnerability to maritime pollution studies, as well as the development of automatic positioning systems for AUV and radar web-based maritime surveillance systems. Dr. P. Pavlakis has published and presented more than 60 papers in international scientific journals and conferences respectively.

He has also supervised a number of Master and Phd dissertations, submitted in Greek and foreign Universities, while he has been reviewer in a number of international scientific journals.