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The importance
of conducting research and training in marine sciences dates back to 1965
when the Faculty of Science of the then Dar es Salaam College of East
Africa introduced a course in Marine Biology. The need for creating an
institution with the mandate to conduct research and training in marine
sciences was pointed out in 1974 during an International Conference on
Marine Resource Development in Eastern Africa. The conference, which was
organized by the Department of Zoology and Marine Biology of the University
of Dar es Salaam, had a primary objective of assessing the need and potential
for marine resources development in Eastern Africa. One of the major deliberations
of the conference was establishment of an Institute of Marine Resource
Development. This recommendation was taken-up seriously by the University
and the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) was established on 17th October
1978 under the University of Dar es Salaam Act No. 12 of 1970. The establishment
of the Institute of Marine Sciences was tabled and approved by the University
Council on 18th August 1978 and later endorsed by the Government through
the University of Dar es Salaam (Establishment of Institute of Marine
Sciences) Order, 1979 (Government Notice No. 34 published on 16th March
1979). While
the planning of the physical facilities of the Institute was under consideration,
the East African Community (EAC) broke-up. The community had a research
organization based on Zanzibar known as the East African Marine Fisheries
Research Organization (EAMFRO), which was mainly dealing with fisheries
research. Since the activities of the EAMFRO were partly similar to
those of the proposed Institute, it was decided that the former should
be a nucleus to the latter, and subsequently the premises were transferred
to the University of Dar es Salaam. IMS is still based in the same premises.
However, construction of the institute headquarters is currently being
undertaken at a more spacious area at Buyu, about 13 km south of the
Stone Town of Zanzibar. |
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