Marine science and technology images
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Laser Raman spectrometer
By shining a specially tuned laser beam on almost any object or substance—solid, liquid, or gas—a laser Raman spectrometer can determine the object's chemical composition and molecular structure. This experiment utilized the laser Raman spectrometer to analyze liquid carbon dioxide on the seafloor. © 2007 MBARI -
MARS node in test tank
In June 2005, the trawl-resistent frame for the main MARS science node was lowered carefully into the MBARI test tank so that the pilots of MBARI remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana could practice installing a "dummy" electronics module. MARS stands for Monterey Advanced Research System, and it was the first cabled oceanographic observatory on the US West Coast. © 2005 MBARI -
Benthic Rover
About the size and weight of a small compact car, the Benthic Rover moves very slowly across the seafloor, taking photographs of the animals and sediment in its path. © 2009 MBARI -
Deep ESP
Engineers Doug Pargett, Wayne Radochonski, and Scott Jensen (left to right) performed tests on the ESP (in the center of the photo) before sealing it inside its pressure housing. The researchers tested the ESP inside of a refrigerated van to make sure that it would work in temperatures similar to those found in the deep sea (within a few degrees of freezing). Photo: Todd Walsh
© 2009 MBARI -
Benthic elevator
The benthic elevator utilizes a combination of glass-sphere floats for buoyancy in ascents, and a drop-weight that could be released acoustically, or by an ROV, for initiating descents. The cargo bay of the benthic elevator can carry equipment down to an ROV for deployment, or it can be used to transport samples up to the surface following release of the drop-weight for a free ascent. © 2003 MBARI -
Sargassum seaweed
In 2011-2012, a research team led by Ken Smith traveled to the area of the western North Atlantic known as the Sargasso Sea to study the effects of climate variation on surface Sargassum and deep-sea ecosystems. In this sample, feathery hydroids are interspersed with the fronds and floats of Sargassum seaweed. Photo: Debbie Nail Meyer © 2011 MBARI -
Radiolarian
The delicate beauty of a radiolarian skeleton is captured in this scanning electron microscope (SEM) image. Radiolarians are microscopic, single-celled protozoa that drift in the waters of the world's oceans. Photo: Kurt Buck
© 2001 MBARI -
In situ CO2 experiment
For over a decade MBARI researchers have been conducting in situ carbon dioxide experiments. Using ROV Tiburon, Peter Brewer's research team placed liquid CO2 samples into special corrals on the seafloor at 3,600 meters depth in a set of experiments designed for chemical observations and studies of the biological impacts of CO2 in the deep sea.
© 2002 MBARI -
Seafloor lava flow
Collapsed pillow lava flow from an undersea volcano off the coast of Southern California. © 2004 MBARI -
M0 (CIMT mooring) in Monterey Bay
The M0 mooring includes MBARI's nearshore oceanographic monitoring buoy, located about three miles offshore of the Pajaro River, in the inner portion of Monterey Bay. Photo: Kim Fulton-Bennett
© 2004 MBARI
