Welcome to Marine Research Centre, Maldives

23 bird species are protected out of which 17 are sea birds. Several marine species including, napoleon wrasse, dolphins, turtles, whales, black corals and triton shells are protected from exploitation and many other marine species are prohibited to be exported. Out of the 583 species of plants recorded in the Maldives, 260 are believed to be native and 323 are cultivated plants introduced for agricultural and ornamental purposes. The most recent estimates of the total land area of the Maldives is 227 sq km Marine Research Centre was estalished during 1984. Initially housed in a rented house, the Centre was moved to the current location of H. White Waves, Moonlight Higun in 1987. A total of 25 marine sites are protected and only diving and bait fishing are allowed in these sites. A total of 187 coral species have been recorded in the Maldives. There are at least 1090 recorded species of fish in the Maldivian waters. Nearly 170 species of birds have been recorded in the Maldives. Mollusks and crustaceans have been poorly studied in the Maldives, yet, there are 400 species of mollusks and 350 species of crustaceans recorded in the Maldives. One species of fish blenny, Ecsenius minutus has been only recorded from Maldives. Did you know that Marine Research Centre's Marine Museum has the most complete skeleton of Longman's Beaked Whale until very recently. Visit the Marine Museum to learn more about whale and dolphins in Maldivian waters.

Rewards for recoveries of tagged tuna (in Divehi)

Details coming soon. Stay tuned!

	Positions Vacant View current vacancies here and apply your career in MRC. We have opportunities that are as varied that would suit young and promising people more>>
	Grouper Culture Pilot Project MRC is conducting grouper rearing experiments in Bodumohoraa Field Station. Brood stock of marble grouper kept in floating cages. Grouper ready for spawning are taken to tanks in the hatchery where they are naturally spawned. The eggs are incubated and larvae are reared in the hatchery. Larvae has been successfully reared and the fingerlings are being gronw in the tanks. more>>
	Pearl Culture Project The Pearl Culture, Demonstration, Extension and Marketing Prject (PCDEMP)is being supported by UNDP. The objective of the project is to further refine the culture techniques and demostrate the pearl culture activity to to the island communities. more>>
	Tuna Tagging FAQ The most important coastal tuna fishery in the Indian Ocean is the Maldivian livebait pole-and-line tuna fishery. The fishery catches over 150,000 MT of tuna a year more>>
	FAD Research in the Maldives FADs, wheather anchored or drifting may be used as an observing platform to study the biodiversity of pelagic ecosystems. MRC is collaboarting with French scientists to study fish aggregations around the anchored FADs in the Maldives. more>>