As a private, non-profit research center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute  (MBARI) has quickly entered the  world leading rank in ocean  science, engineering, and education since its founding in 1987. This success owes to the vision of MBARI′s founder Mr. David Packard and the Institute′s operating mechanism. MBARI emphasizes the peer relationship between engineers and scientists as a basic principle of its operation. All of the programs of MBARI must be characterized by excellence, innovation, and vision. In this article, we review MBARI′s history and some representative research projects and achievements. We contemplate what we can learn from MBARI and make suggestions for the advancement of China′s ocean science and technology.