Marine aquarium for public awareness

Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI

Support to farmers for cage farming

Seed production of Azure damsel and Black bar chromis

Monitoring of fishery and biology of bill fishes landed in this region

The Vizhinjam Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute had its inception in 1951 as a survey centre as directed by Dr  N. K. Panikkar, the then Chief Research Officer of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Station at Mandapam Camp. This was later elevated to the status of a Research Unit in 1965 and subsequently to a sub-station in 1969. With the addition of more research programmes and personnel over the years, it has grown into the present full-fledged Regional Centre. The centre is located in the coastal village of Vizhinjam in Neyyattinkara Taluk of Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala. It is about 15 km south of Thiruvananthapuram city and famous for its fishing harbour with a lighthouse and a beautiful beach sheltered on the coast of the Arabian Sea. This Centre has been carrying out pioneering research, contributing substantially to the knowledge about the marine fisheries of this region. On completion of the new Office-cum-Laboratory building, the Centre was shifted to the new premises at Vizhinjam Harbour Road, in April 2013. At present, Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI has an Office-cum-Laboratory building, Marine Research Aquarium, National brood bank of silver pompano, Marine food fish hatchery, Marine ornamental fish hatchery, Unique live feed production and supply centre,  marine bivalve hatchery and a training and extension centre.

The specialities of this centre include round-the-year production and supply of seeds of silver pompano, first-time breeding and seed production reported for pink ear emperor fish, spangled emperor fish, banded grunter fish; first-time breeding and seed production of many ornamental fishes including cloudy damsel, Marcia's anthias, sea goldie,  azure damsel, black bar chromis, Maldives damsel, dotty backs,  shrimp goby and the lemon damsel; unique stock of live feeds including 14 species of marine copepods; hatchery of green and brown mussels, edible oyster, and short neck clam; pearl oyster and ‘mabe’ pearl production technologies; intensive research and reports on large pelagic fishes; an extensive network of beneficiaries including cage and pen culture programmes, food fish, bivalve and ornamental fish farmers, regular training, short term project students, Ph D and PDF scholars, extension programmes and consultancies.