Deeper and Further
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute embarks on its second decade of operations with a sharpened sense of identity. In November 1995, four months before his death, founder David Packard articulated his vision one last time:
"The mission of MBARI is to achieve and maintain a position as a world center for advanced research and education in ocean science and technology, and to do so through the development of better instruments, systems, and methods for scientific research in the deep waters of the ocean. MBARI emphasizes the peer relationship between engineers and scientists as a basic principle of its operation...All of the activities of MBARI must be characterized by excellence, innovation, and vision."
To carry out this mission the institute has defined six main goals, which reflect MBARI’s priorities over the last decade, as well as its future direction.
- To identify important areas of marine science where research progress is limited by the lack of appropriate technology.
- To develop systems for investigating the marine environment and its inhabitants where high scientific potential exists.
- To meet the highest possible performance standards for the operation of its equipment and technological systems.
- To conduct high-quality, innovative research that maximizes effective management and use of all MBARI assets.
- To develop, in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, innovative programs that maximize the educational value of MBARI’s research results.
- To transfer research results, technology, and operational techniques to the marine science community worldwide.
Poised on the threshold of a new millenium, with Marcia McNutt as its president, MBARI is superbly equipped to earn its place in the vanguard of institutions dedicated to plumbing the ocean’s depths and unlocking its secrets.