The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, Kokuritsu-Kenkyū-Kaihatsu-Hōjin Kaiyō Kenkyū Kaihatsu Kikō, literally "National Research and Development Agency on Marine Research and Development), or JAMSTEC (海洋機構), is a Japanese national research institute for marine-earth science and technology. It was founded as Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (海洋科学技術センター) in October 1971, and became an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in April 2004. Source: Wikipedia (en)