Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, now officially known as Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, is a specialized public university headquartered at Nagapattinam. It was established on 19 June 2012 under the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act, 2012 to create a dedicated system for professional fisheries education, research, training and extension. The university follows the broad teaching-research-extension model used by state agricultural universities, but its entire mandate is centered on fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic resources, fish processing, engineering, biotechnology and related enterprise development. It was formed at a time when Tamil Nadu's long coastline, inland water resources and large fishing communities required a more specialized institutional base for scientific training and technology transfer. The Fisheries College and Research Institute at Thoothukudi, which had earlier functioned within the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University system, became an important academic foundation for the new university. Since establishment, the university has expanded through fisheries colleges, engineering and technology programs, postgraduate institutes, paraprofessional institutes, technical directorates, sustainable-aquaculture centres, incubation and vocational-training centres and field-extension units. In 2018, the institution was renamed Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University. Its present academic portfolio includes professional degrees in fisheries science, fisheries engineering, food technology, biotechnology and fisheries business management, together with postgraduate and doctoral study. Research and extension priorities include aquaculture, fish health, breeding, nutrition, processing, engineering and livelihood-oriented technology for fisher communities and entrepreneurs. The university’s official mission links fisheries science with food, nutrition and livelihood, reflecting both commercial and community dimensions of the sector. The university was established at Nagapattinam on 19 June 2012. It was created as a professional state university dedicated exclusively to fisheries and allied areas. Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi formed an important academic base for the new university. The university was renamed Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University in 2018.