SCSFRI has research centers and divisons as follows: Marine Resources Conservation and Pasture Research Center, Fisheries Environmental Laboratory, Aquaculture and Genetic Breeding Research Laboratory, Fishery Engineering Research Laboratory, Fishery Disease Control Laboratory, Food Quality and Safety Engineering and Research Laboratory, Information Center, South China Sea Fisheries Center for Strategic Studies, Survey Ship Base, Shenzhen Experimental Base, Tropical Aquatic Research and Development Center (Hainan), Zhuhai Experimental Base, Huadu Experimental Base, and Beibu Gulf Marine Fisheries Research Center (Beihai).

　   SCSFRI also has key laboratories, research centers and field stations as follows: National Aquatic Products Processing Technology Research And Development Center, National Standardization Technical Committee of Fisheries Fishery Resources Technical Committee of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Offshore Fishery Development of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fishery Resources and Environmental Science Experimental Station of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Prevention Research Center of Marine Aquaculture Disease in South China Sea of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Sea Fishery Ecological Environment Monitoring Center of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Penaeus monodon Genetic Breeding Research Center of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Sea Fisheries Breeding Innovation Base of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southern China Aquatic Products Processing and Quality Safety Research Center of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Aquatic Product Quality and Safety Risk Assessment Laboratory (Guangzhou) of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fishery Environment and Aquatic Product Quality Supervision and Testing Center (Guangzhou) of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Human Resources and Social Security Aquaculture-164 Special Job Technical Expertise Station, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecological Environment, Fisheries Standardization Technical Committee of Guangdong Province, Aquatic Products Deep Processing By-products and Efficient Utilization of Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, Cage Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, Marine Biological Industry Engineering Research Center, Aquatic Germplasm Resources and Breeding Technology of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Key Laboratory of Marine Ranching of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Aquatic Products Processing and Comprehensive Utilization of Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong Ocean Recreational Fishery Engineering Research Center, Postdoctoral Workstation of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

　   The main research areas include: fishery resources protection and utilization, fishery ecological environment, aquaculture, breeding, biotechnology, aquaculture disease control, aquatic products processing and comprehensive utilization, water product quality and safety control, fishery equipment and engineering technology and fisheries information.

　   Based on the advanced scientific equipment and a talented research team with reasonable discipline configuration, SCSFRI has undertaken over 3,300 scientific research projects at national, provincial or ministerial levels, and obtained over 1,800 scientific research achievements, including 16 national awards and over 280 provincial or ministerial ones since its foundation. The most outstanding achievements are: "Four Major Chinese Carps Breeding", "Artificial Breeding and Inserting Nuclear Technology of Pinctada maxima", "Research of Mussel of South China Sea Watch System", "Island Waters and Marine Fishery Resources Survey in Guangdong Province", "Artificial Propagation and Breeding Technique of Mullet", etc.; during 2013-2017, SCSFRI has undertaken 1,097 scientific and research projects including National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and National 863 Project, etc., among which 72 are national projects and 851 are provincial projects; 52 achievements are awarded, among which 6 are the first prize of the provincial (Ministry) level and 9 are the second prize. Additionally, SCSFRI publishes a core academic journal (South China Fisheries Science), possesses a tropical and subtropical marine organism specimen museum in South China with the most abundant species, and owns a kiloton-class marine fishery research vessel “Nanfeng” as well as a 300-ton fishery resources survey ship known as “Nanfeng No.2”.