Technical means for ocean studies and for ocean information retrieval, development of technical methods and means for long-term observations of physical, chemical and biological parameters of the ocean based on distributed intellectual networks of self-contained bottom, submerged and remote-operated scanning stations.

The Institute's research fleet based at the ports of Kaliningrad and Gelendjik incorporates three large-capacity (more than 6 thousand tons displacement) research vessels: "Akademik Mstislav Keldysh", "Akademik Sergei Vavilov" and "Akademik Ioffe"; two medium-capacity (more than 1 thousand tons) vessels: "Professor Shtockman" and "Rift" and three small-capacity (less than 1 thousand tons) vessels: "Shelf", "Aquanaut" and "Aquanaut-2". All the vessels are fitted up with modern navigational systems, research instruments and equipment for complex studies of the ocean.

The Institute owns 5 underwater manned research vehicles: two MIR submersibles capable of diving a depth of 6 km, two PISCES submersibles of 2 km diving depth and an "Argus" vehicle of 600 m diving depth.