With financial support from the Ministry of Education, the Center of Excellence for the Oceans was originally founded under the name of Center for Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology in 2006. The faculty members affiliated with the center are mainly from the College of Life Sciences, College of Ocean Science and Resources. The center encourages integrative and cooperative research and academic activities within and outside the university both domestically and internationally.  The current research focus of the Center is on the Adaptations and Responses of the Oceans under Global Changes.  Four main research themes are identified and they are Marine Environment and Ecology, Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management, Marine Ecophysiology and Novel Marine Aquaculture Technique and Sustainable Oceans.  The goals are to elucidate the effect of climate changes and ocean acidification on ocean carbon cycle and planktons, adaptations and evolution of vent endemic organisms in extreme environment, and develop diseases prevention and algae propagation techniques in aquaculture.  The function of the Center is to promote marine science researches in order to facilitate the National Taiwan Ocean University to develop into a world renowned marine university, including to hold the figure head position in marine biology and ecology research locally and abroad.   The National Taiwan Ocean is ranked as the highest scientific paper output in Taiwan in the fields of Oceanography, Marine and Freshwater Biology, Fisheries; and also a leading research institution on East China Sea marine ecology, shallow water hydrothermal vent ecology, crustacean biodiversity, bony fish and coral reproductive physiology.  A Yushan Scholar, Dr. Sylvie Dufour from CNRS France with  expertise on neuroendocrinology of marine animals, has been awarded to the Center from the Ministry of Education in 2020.  

　　The Center has its own laboratories and assistants, including many core equipment for common use.  A newly completed Cultivation Center for Aquatic Organisms is located in the sea-side of the campus to support live marine organism researches, including a Taiwan Algae Resource Research and Application Unit.   There is also an off-campus Aquatic Organism Research and Conservation Unit in Gongliao, New Taipei City specially for supporting marine organism propagation and conservation researches.