ANCORS is the only multidisciplinary university-based centre of its type in the Southern Hemisphere dedicated to delivering specialised research, advisory services, education and training in ocean law and policy, maritime security, and marine resources management.

Originally established as the Centre for Maritime Policy in 1994 as a collaborative initiative between the University of Wollongong and the Royal Australian Navy, ANCORS has developed an unrivalled reputation for capacity building, within Australia and throughout the world, in the law of the sea, ocean policy making and maritime security.