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The Collection of Sea Microoganisms, CoSMi, includes many species of unicellular (autothropic and heterotrophic) eukaryotes that belong to the broad categories of diatoms, flagellates and ciliates.

CoSMi is a bioresource center collecting many species of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea) such as toxic dinoflagellates and diatoms. The collection includes also microalgae used in acquaculture and ecotoxicology.

CoSMi collection was established in the Marine Biology Laboratory in 1990 now is part of OGS. CoSMi's mission is to isolate, taxonomically and genetically identify marine microorganisms and cultivate them. CoSMi cultures are available to the scientific community and to different industry sectors: human nutrition, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and energy.

CoSMi is a facility within the infrastructures Lifewatch and EMBRC; it is part of the BioMarine Lab ECCSEL ERIC and is an integral part of the Observatory System: Gulf of Trieste.

CoSMi's team is active in outreach and comunication activities on the topic of microalgae and microorganism biodiversity and their importance in the marine food web structure and environmental dynamics. CoSMi collaborates with national and international Middle to High Schools and supports experimental studies for Master and Doctorate degree projects.