With the objective of implementing this programme, the Sagar Sampada cell was upgraded to the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology.

During the 9th five-year plan (1998-2002), the Centre co-ordinated the first systematic study of marine life along the Indian shelf waters, along the eastern and western coasts of India.

During the 10th five-year plan (2002-2007) the exploration was extended to the continental slope regions, particularly in the case of marine benthos and fisheries.

In this period, focus was placed on continued monitoring of the pelagic environment and productivity, marine benthos, harmful algal blooms, studies on reproduction and recruitment of sardines in the south-east Arabian Sea, deep-sea fisheries and myctophid resources in the Indian EEZ.

The Centre has the following mandate Institutes associated with the MLR research programme through fund-granting from CMLRE (past and present) include