All-Russian Killer Waves Research Center opened Friday in the country's far eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The center will focus on research of extreme waves in the ocean and work on prediction of the dangerous phenomenon and development of protective measures.

Killer waves, also known as "rogue waves" or "freak waves," are relatively large and spontaneous ocean surface waves that occur far at sea, which could even be a threat to large cargo ships, ocean liners and oil platforms.

The natural phenomenon has drawn attention of scientists around the world in the past few years.

Up to 35-meter-high waves occur many times in all oceans every year.

Killer waves, not produced by a single distinct cause, occur where physical factors such as high winds and strong currents cause waves to merge into a single exceptionally large one.