[1][2] Its mission was to help the Department of Fisheries and Oceans gather and organize documentary resources for the needs of the Québec region.
Its fields of focus are ocean science and aquatic ecosystems management.
Its activities include research on aquatic invasive species, fish stocks and marine mammals, and ocean ecosystem dynamics, forecasting and monitoring of water levels, and developing technological solutions for navigation.
[2] The institute covers an area of 25,000 square metres and has 70 labs onsite.
[2] The library of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute focuses on specialized collections concerning oceans in Québec and in Canada.