The TAMAR-ICMBio was created in 1980 by former Brazilian Institute for Forest Development-IBDF, who later became the IBAMA Brazilian Institute of Environment. It is now recognized internationally as one of the most successful experiences in marine conservation and serves as a model for other countries, especially because it involves coastal communities directly in its socio-environmental work.
Research, conservation and management of five species of sea turtles that occur in Brazil, all endangered species, is the primary mission of the Tamar, which protects about 1,100 km of beaches, over 23 bases maintained in feeding areas, spawning, growth and rest of the animals, on the coast and oceanic islands in nine Brazilian states.
The name Tamar was created from combining the first syllables of the words tartaruga Marchine, an abbreviation that became necessary, in practice, due to the restricted space for the inscriptions on the small metal plates used in the identification of the tortoises scheduled for various studies .