The National Marine Biodiversity Museum at CMFRI is one of the oldest museums in the country which aims to collect, preserve, catalogue and display species occurring along the marine and coastal environments for the education of researchers and public. The Museum was established at the Headquarters in the present building of ICAR CMFRI and has expanded and grown in stature and collections to the status of the Designated National Repository.The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin was recognized as a ‘Designated National Repository’ by the Government of India, in December 2007 in consultation with the National Biodiversity Authority under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. A Designated National Repository (DNR) is an Institution authorized to keep in safe custody specimens of different categories of biological material. Researchers in the field of Marine Sciences can now deposit their valuable holotype specimens (species new to science) and new records in the Marine Biodiversity Museum of CMFRI.Quoting the Accession Numbers given to the specimens, the findings can be reported in scientific journals of repute. Marine Biodiversity Museum, established at the Headquarters of the Institute offers a glimpse of the biodiversity of the Indian seas displaying specimens collected from marine environments and estuaries.The collections, arranged systematically for a better understanding of the resources, attracts students, teachers, scientists and the general public hailing from different States and Union Territories of the country, the students forming more than 80% of the total visitors.The purpose of establishing the Marine Biodiversity Museum at CMFRI is to collect, preserve, catalogue and display of species occurring along the marine and coastal environments for the education of researchers and public. The Marine Biodiversity Museum, established at the Headquarters of the Institute offers a glimpse of the biodiversity of the Indian seas displaying specimens collected from estuaries and coastal and deeper waters. The collections, arranged systematically for a better understanding of the resources, attracts students, teachers, scientists and the general public hailing from different States and Union Territories of the country, the students forming more than 80% of the total visitors.