The Marine Culture Collection of China is located in East China's Fujian province. [Photo/WeChat account of Fujian Release]

The Marine Culture Collection of China located in East China's Fujian province is the world's largest marine microbial strain library, housing tens of thousands of marine biological strains.

Managed by the Third Institute of Oceanography under the Ministry of Natural Resources, the institution is China's pioneering hub for preserving marine microbial strains and became a member of the World Federation for Culture Collections in 2013.

As of March 2022, the center had standardized the preservation of over 40,000 marine biological strains sourced from various habitats, including China's coastal waters, deep seas, and polar regions. The center has implemented a comprehensive strain information database, ensuring that all preserved strains undergo rigorous morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological identification processes, along with detailed classification.

Operating as a non-profit foundational resource preservation institution, the center has established a user-friendly website to facilitate the sharing of strain resources. This platform enables both companies and individuals to access strain information, request preservation services, and conduct strain identification. In 2020, the center achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system, demonstrating international recognition of its operational standards.

From the ocean's depths to the digital realm, the Marine Culture Collection of China not only safeguards the genetic code of marine life but also elevates Fujian's influence in global marine microbial research.