Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE) was established at Kochi in 1998 by upgrading the erstwhile Sagar Sampada Cell with exclusive facilities for implementing Marine Living Resources (MLR) Programme.

The Centre has the following mandate;

• To develop management strategies for marine living resources through Ecosystem monitoring and modelling efforts.
   

• Evolving, coordinating and implementing time targeted national /regional R&D programmes in the field of marine living resources and ecology through effective utilisation of Fishery and Oceanographic Research Vessel Sagar Sampada.
   

• Strengthening of research on marine living resources and Ecology including establishment of a data centre for storage and dissemination of data/ information to end users.
   

• Coordinating the national programmes relating to Southern Ocean Living Resources (Antarctic marine living resources).