MBARI and partners in the FathomNet Program have released a new version of the FathomVerse community science app. The updated app includes new features to expedite verification of labeled imagery, helping advance the development of AI tools that can accelerate ocean discovery.

An expedition with Schmidt Ocean Institute leveraged imaging systems and AI tools, including some developed by MBARI engineers, to document more than 30 new species from the tropical South Atlantic Ocean.

This week, MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius was awarded the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit, one of the eight classes of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the highest honor given by the Federal Republic of Germany.

Earlier this month, a team of researchers from MBARI and the Monterey Bay Aquarium completed a five-day expedition to Guide Seamount and Ascension Canyon offshore of Central California. Some of the animals the team encountered went on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, including species on public display for the first time anywhere in the world.

Last week, a team of MBARI researchers participated in the sixth Marine Imaging Workshop, sharing new technology for observing marine life, including artificial intelligence tools to enable real-time classification of ocean animals.

Last week, MBARI researchers participated in the GeoHab 2026 conference, an annual meeting of scientists, students, resource managers, and other stakeholders working at the intersection of marine habitat mapping, benthic ecosystems, and seafloor ecology.

A new collaboration with Bio Bureau Biotecnologia, TideWise, and Equinor is leveraging MBARI’s innovative eDNA-sampling technologies to monitor marine biodiversity around Brazil’s offshore oil fields.

MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Olívia Soares Pereira has been named a National Geographic Explorer. Recognizing exceptional individuals in their fields, Explorers receive funding and support from the National Geographic Society to illuminate and protect our world through their work in science, exploration, education, and storytelling.

The 2026 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards recognized Julie Packard—chair of MBARI's Board of Directors and executive director of MBARI's education and conservation partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium—with the Ocean Hero award, honoring her contributions to ocean science and conservation.

In a new study in Nature Communications, researchers from MBARI, the University of Montana, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa share how autonomous robots equipped with advanced genetic sampling instruments have enabled scientists to understand how microbial activity responds to changing conditions in remote areas of the ocean.

Jon Erickson, a mechanical engineer at MBARI for nearly 30 years before retiring last fall, passed away on March 13 at the age of 78. Erickson’s expertise in marine engineering was critical to the success of several MBARI projects, from autonomous robots to tethered moorings.

This week, Bay Area music collective Fractals of Sound featured MBARI’s recordings of whale songs and other underwater sounds in a special sound bath at San Francisco’s historic Grace Cathedral for Earth Day.

Engineers from MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab recently returned from an expedition to the Arctic, where they deployed the MOLA AUV under the ice for the first time. The fieldwork marked a major milestone in the development of this nimble technology platform, demonstrating how MOLA robots can be used for studying benthic ecology and under-ice ecosystems.

Henry Ruhl, director of the CeNCOOS collaboration housed at MBARI, has been appointed to the California Ocean Protection Council’s Science Advisory Team. This panel brings together experts from across the state to help ensure California’s ocean and coastal policies are informed by the best available science.

Last weekend, MBARI participated in the 16th Annual Whalefest Monterey celebration, immersing attendees in the ocean soundscape. MBARI scientists shared their latest research and technology—from studying the ecology of blue whales to advancing AI tools with the FathomVerse mobile game—to help inspire a new generation of ocean explorers.

Teamwork at sea and on shore was instrumental for successfully coordinating a fleet of MBARI technologies to study the ocean’s role in regulating carbon.

Deploying the Sedimentation Event Sensor and its mooring required detailed planning, coordination, and the diverse skills of MBARI’s engineers, scientists, and marine operations crew.

As the expedition got underway, the team deployed advanced imaging systems for observing marine snow as it sinks through the water column and lands on the deep seafloor.

Before heading to sea, the expedition team mobilized a variety of imaging systems that will help MBARI scientists and engineers observe and quantify tiny bits of marine snow.

FathomNet has partnered with LifeCLEF and FGVC13 to host a Kaggle challenge to tackle one of the biggest obstacles for applying computer vision to marine imagery. This data competition aims to engage students and early-career data scientists in the computer vision community to develop new approaches to advance AI for ocean exploration.