The Pacific Oceanological Institute (POI) was founded in 1973 by the Far Eastern Scientific Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the basis of the pre-existed Pacific Branch of P.P Shirshov Oceanology Institute had been located in Vladivostok since the early 60’s. Deputy Director of the Oceanology Institute Prof. E. Mikhaltsev and Prof. N.P. Vasilkovsky played a significant role in the Institute’s growth and formation.
In 1974, Dr. Viktor Il’ichev became the Director of the Institute and led headed the Institute for 20 years. The Institute developed a variety of scientific areas and schools of thought. The pleiad of eminent scientists contributed to POI success, they are Academician V.I. Il'ichev, D.Sc. N.P. Vasilkovsky, D.Sc. N.P. Bulgakov, D.Sc. M.F. Staschuk, D.Sc. U.Kh. Kopvillem, D.Sc. V.F. Kozlov.
Later D.Sc. K.T. Bogdanov, D.Sc. V.V. Anikiev, D.Sc. B.I. Vasil'ev, D.Sc. L.M.Gramm-Osipov, D.Sc. A.V. Alekseev, D.Sc. R.G. Kulinich, D.Sc. V.N. Soifer, D.Sc. L.M. Mitnik, D.Sc. Yu.N. Morgunov took leadership roles in the research area development.
From 1995 to 2015, Director Academician Viktor A. Akulichev, a leading expert in ocean acoustics, headed the Institute.
PhD Vyacheslav B. Lobanov was elected Director of the Institute in 2015. Vyacheslav B. Lobanov is a world-renowned oceanographer who has spent a productive career advancing our understanding of North Pacific oceanography and promoting international collaboration in marine science.
Professor, Dr. Sc. Grigory I. Dolgikh became elected Director of POI FEBRAS in 2021. Academician of RAS Grigory I. Dolgikh is well-known Russian leading expert in the field in ocean physics, laser interferometry and the creation of sphere-sensitive laser interference systems for the study of geospheric processes
