The International Ecology Institute (ECI) is a non-profit organization of research ecologists dedicated to fostering ecological knowledge and awareness. It is funded by Inter-Research.

• further the exchange of information between marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecologists and to promote advancement in environmental research
• compensate for the lack of balance between analyzing and synthesizing research efforts and thus help to provide more feedback and critical overview for ecological sciences
• draw the attention of scientists, administrators, politicians and the general public to important issues resulting from ecological research
• assist in finding a long-term compromise between the increasingly destructive potential of modern industrial societies and the need for defining and applying measures to protect nature, commensurate with achieving and sustaining the highest possible living standard for human societies

The major means of approaching these aims are, at present, the two international prizes (ECI Prize, IRPE Prize) conferred annually (biennially from 2019) by the ECI and the book series 'Excellence in Ecology'.