南海海洋资源利用国家重点实验室（State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea）是我国第一个针对南海海洋资源进行开发利用和保护研究的国家重点实验室。实验室以推动国家海洋资源利用为己任，聚焦南海海域，开发南海资源，服务国家战略。

实验室所有固定研究人员均具有博士学位，且大部分具有海外留学经历。实验室有两个省级院士工作站（林浩然院士、侯保荣院士），力求打造一支结构合理、基础扎实、思路活跃、极富朝气和创造力的高水准科研队伍。实验室现有杰青等国家级人才6人，国家级青年人才2人，国家百千万人才工程5人。

根据国家需求、地方有用、学校可做的三大原则，实验室的定位是基础应用研究，以国家南海战略及海南省经济社会发展需求为向导，设置了研究方向：海洋生物资源利用、海洋化学与生态、数字海洋、资源/能源与新材料应用。通过机制创新、科研资源整合和学科交叉融合，发挥各种重要要素的协同作用，建设成为一个国家级高水平的多学科交叉融合涉海科研实验室。

在管理上，由国家科技部和海南省共同进行管理，实行“开放、流动、联合、竞争”的运行机制。实验室实行主任负责制，并设立实验室建设运行管理委员会和实验室学术委员会.其中管理委员会对实验室的行政工作、人员配置、资产、仪器设备购置、技术管理、环境安全、财务等事务进行统一管理。实验室学术委员会对实验室的研究方向和学术事宜包括科学研究、人才培养、学术交流等进行指导。

The State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea (MRU) is the first state key laboratory in China to conduct research on the development, utilization and conservation of marine resources in the South China Sea. The laboratory takes the responsibility of promoting the utilization of national marine resources, focusing on developing the resources in the South China Sea and then serving the national strategy.

All fixed researchers in the laboratory have doctoral degrees and most of them have overseas study experience. Boasting two provincial-level academician workstations (Academician Haoran Lin and Academician Baorong Hou), 6 state-level talents, 2 state-level young talents, and 5 members of National Millions of Talents Program, MRU strives to create a high-level scientific research team with a reasonable structure, solid foundation, active thinking, high vitality and creativity.

In order to meet local and national demands, and to adapt the competence of Hainan University, MRU emphasizes on the basic application research. Guided by the National South China Sea Strategy and the economic and social development needs of Hainan Province, its research directions have been set: marine biological resource utilization, marine chemistry and ecology, digital ocean, resources/energy and new material applications. Through mechanism innovation, integration of scientific research resources, and interdisciplinary integration, MRU leverages the synergistic effects of various crucial elements, so as to build a national top marine research laboratory with Interdisciplinary fusion.

In terms of management, MRU, with the operation mechanism of “openness, mobility, association and competition”, is jointly managed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and Hainan Province. The laboratory is under the responsibility of directors, and a management committee for the construction and operation of MRU and an academic committee have been established. The management committee takes charge of the administrative work, staffing, assets, instruments and equipment acquisition, technology management, environmental safety, finance and so on, and the academic committee directs the research direction and academic matters, including scientific research, personnel training and academic exchanges.