After the Venezuelan Association for the Advancement of Science (AsoVAC) was founded in 1950 under the direction of the distinguished physician and academic Francisco De Venanzi, the concern for creating an oceanographic research center in Venezuela arose.

[3][4] The institute began its work in the facilities of the Marine Biology Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture in Caigüire, Sucre state, and moved to its definitive headquarters at the Universidad de Oriente main campus in the city of Cumana, in 1963.

In mid-1963 he was appointed Head of the Department of Marine Biology of the Oceanographic Institute of Venezuela where he developed a creative work organizing seminars, expeditions, courses and workshops, and stimulating his colleagues, publications and attendance at national and international conferences.

[5][failed verification] In 1967 he was appointed Director of the Oceanographic Institute of Venezuela where he promoted relations with the main universities in the world, which allowed the arrival of foreign researchers to reinforce the faculty with a view to imparting postgraduate studies in marine sciences.

[6] His outstanding role at the Oceanographic Institute of Venezuela, growing national and international prestige, and the great respect and admiration gained among colleagues and other collaborators at Universidad de Oriente placed him as frontrunner to occupy the positions of Dean and Rector of his university.

[7] In compliance with IOC/UNESCO Resolution V-5, and by appointment of President Raul Leoni, the first Venezuelan representation to the International Coordination Group for Cooperative Investigations in the Caribbean Sea and Adjacent Regions (CICAR) was designated in 1968.

The group was made up by the highly regarded deputy coordinators: Fernando Cervigón of the Marine Research Station of La Salle Foundation of Natural Sciences; Gilberto Rodríguez of the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research; Francisco Mago Leccia of the Institute of Tropical Zoology of Universidad Central de Venezuela; Captain Ramiro Perez Luciani of the Hydrography and Navigation Department of the Venezuelan Navy; and Jose Heredia Osio of the Fisheries Office of the Ministry of Agriculture.