The Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOl) was established in January 2000 by the proclamation of the MOl ACT (Act No. 24 of 1999) and has for mission to develop and strengthen oceanographic research using an integrated scientific approach, to enhance understanding of ocean and coastal processes ,for rational development of marine resources ,within the maritime zone of the Republic of Mauritius.

Major achievements of the MOI has been the Continental Shelf project ,Geo-spatial information system (GIS) for Mapping Maritime Habitats South-East of Mauritius, Validation of the hypoglycaemic effect of the aqueous root extract of Rhizophora mucronata, creation of the Lagoon and Reef Watch Movement, Coral Reef Research Project and the creation of a database of marine organism of Mauritian maritime zone.

New projects involve Bioprospecting of Mauritian water, Modelling and mapping of oceanic processes of South West Indian Ocean, Bathymetric surveys of the Shallow lagoons of Mauritius, Tsunami Research, Hydrocarbon Research, Genetic connectivity offish species and corals of East African Ecoregion, development of a pilot project for coral farming, Spirulina culture and feasibility of Pearl Oyster Culture in Mauritius.

The institute intends to develop into a hub for regional collaboration and global cooperation for the Indian Ocean region.

Two new projects have recently been being initiated at the Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI) along with the other ongoing projects.

They are:

1. Study of the Quaternary Geomorphology of Mauritius and Rodrigues

This study involves investigation for proxy signals embedded in corals, shells, etc. of islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues.Other techniques would also be used to construct a 3-D model of the Mascarene Basin, which would help in understanding changes in sea level.

2. Molecular barcoding of Marine Organisms in the Republic of Mauritius