MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius stands outdoors on a sunny day. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing a bright green jacket and dark blue jeans. In the background is a research ship with a blue-and-white hull and the name David Packard in white capital letters.

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MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius elected to Germany’s Order Pour le Mérite for Science and Arts

Boetius is one of three new members elected to Germany’s prestigious Order Pour le Mérite.

News

11.12.25

MBARI opens opportunities for the next generation of ocean explorers

For nearly three decades, MBARI has been launching the next generation of ocean explorers whose curiosity and creativity are shaping the future of ocean discovery.

MBARI marine operations crew deploys a scientific instrument over the side of a research ship. The crew members are wearing white hard hats, orange life vests, and black pants. The scientific instrument has a silver metal frame topped with an orange foam float. The instrument is suspended from a white metal crane and is being lowered into the water. In the background are blue-gray ocean and gray overcast sky.

Behind the Scenes

10.29.25

New MBARI technology reveals ocean carbon storage in real time

SINKER is an innovative new instrument equipped with advanced microscopes and cameras to collect detailed data about carbon sinking in marine snow.

News

10.23.25

MBARI’s advanced technology plays integral role in international expedition to the Arctic

MBARI researchers returned to the Arctic with collaborators from the Korea Polar Research Institute and Geological Survey of Canada to study seafloor processes in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.

Marine operations crew deploy a scientific instrument over the side of a research ship. On the left side of the frame, three crew members wearing white hard hats, orange life vests, blue shirts, and dark pants stand on the gray metal deck of a ship, leaning against a white metal railing. On the right side of the frame, a white metal crane lowers a round scientific instrument with a carousel of gray plastic bottles. In the background are still blue ocean and blue sky, with hazy clouds and coastal mountains on the horizon.

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10.13.25

MBARI research expedition provides a detailed snapshot of life in Monterey Bay

The 2025 CANON Expedition used MBARI’s advanced technology, including our new research vessel David Packard, to collect detailed data about marine life, ecosystems, and processes.

Two researchers prepare a robotic float for deployment. The researcher on the left has a brown beard and is wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and an orange life vest. The researcher on the right has blonde hair and is wearing sunglasses, a black-and-white patterned shirt, and an orange life vest. The cylindrical float has a gray plastic housing with black plastic instrumentation at the top. The researchers are standing on the deck of a research ship with a gray metal railing, blue ocean, blue sky, and white clouds in the background.

Press Release

10.06.25

Marine heatwaves have hidden impacts on ocean food webs and carbon cycling

New study analyzing data from robotic floats and plankton records reveals how marine heatwaves reshape ocean food webs and slow transport of carbon to the deep sea.

Expedition Log

09.12.25

Wrapping up the expedition

Wrapping up the expedition Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef As our MBARI activities draw to a close, we have crossed into the Chukchi Sea, reaching as far north as 77°N before beginning our southward journey. This marks the start of the next phase of the expedition, which will continue under the leadership …

A pale pink deep-sea snailfish swims just above the deep seafloor. The snailfish has a tadpole-shaped body. It is facing the camera and has a wide mouth, large lips, broad fins, and a bumpy appearance. The background is dark greenish-blue water with several drifting bits of organic material.

News

09.08.25

MBARI’s advanced underwater technology reveals a new species of deep-sea snailfish

The bumpy snailfish is one of three new species of deep-sea snailfish described by MBARI collaborators at SUNY Geneseo.

Expedition Log

09.04.25

A touch of winter

A touch of winter Expedition log by MBARI Senior Research Specialist Jenny Paduan A storm was predicted for August 30 with wind gusts of 60 knots and 2.5 meters (over eight feet) swells near the Canadian Beaufort coast, where we have been working. This inspired the captain to take the IBRV Araon into the dense …

Four people in coats and hats stand on a green surface looking at the camera. They stand next to a remotely operated vehicle. The vehicle sits on a grey metal stand. A white rail with white netting is behind the people. In the background, the ocean is calm with a high density of sea ice. The bright yellow setting sun is just above the horizon of sea and ice. The sky is yellow and orange on the left side of the frame and filled with white and grey puffy clouds on the right.

Expedition Log

09.02.25

Meet the MiniROV

Meet the MiniROV Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef Today, we’re highlighting one of the most exciting pieces of technology aboard this expedition—a scalable mapping and navigation system mounted on MBARI’s MiniROV. Developed by the CoMPAS Lab, this platform is designed to test how far low-cost, adaptable sensors can take us in exploring …

A large yellow, torpedo-shaped vehicle hangs from a line above the ocean. Two lines attach to the front of the vehicle and extend toward to the left of the image. The ocean is deep blue with small waves. The sky is light blue at the top of the image.

Expedition Log

08.28.25

First mapping survey

First mapping survey Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef When we reached our working area, we were still met with ice cover, which forced us to adapt our plans. Instead of deploying all the instruments we had hoped for, we began with multibeam mapping to chart the seafloor, sub-bottom profiling to peer beneath …

A robotic float drifts at the ocean surface. The float has a yellow plastic housing. At the top are white and black sensors protruding out of the water. The background is blue ocean.

News

08.26.25

New AI approach sharpens picture of carbon export in the Southern Ocean

Applying machine learning algorithms to a trove of data collected by robotic floats has improved estimates of ocean productivity and carbon export in the Southern Ocean.

Expedition Log

08.25.25

Life at sea

Life at sea Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef The first full days at sea have been a mix of preparation, discovery, and settling into the rhythm of life aboard the IBRV Araon. With calm seas guiding us eastward, we have been busy testing instruments, holding coordination meetings, and fine-tuning our workflow so …

A beach with dark grey and brown sand in the foreground and ocean in the background. On the beach are bones from a whale and remnants of an overturned grey wooden boat. Two long bones form an arch. A red and white ship appears on the ocean offshore through the arch.

Expedition Log

08.22.25

Departure from Utqiagvik

Departure from Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow, Alaska) Expedition log by MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef We arrived in Utqiagvik on August 19, 2025, and were transferred to the Korean ice-breaking research vessel Araon by helicopter on August 20, 2025. We spent the first day setting up equipment on board, coordinating logistics, and carrying out a safety drill …

A research ship sits at a dock in Oregon. The vessel has a blue bow and white hull with various scientific and maritime instrumentation. Two marine operations crew work on the ship’s exterior while a third crew member walks up a gangway from the pier to the ship’s deck. In the foreground is the gray concrete pier. In the background is a coastal community, with clear blue sky overhead.

News

08.13.25

MBARI’s new flagship research vessel completes first science expedition

R/V David Packard expedition produces new high-resolution maps of Oregon seafloor, advancing earthquake and tsunami research.

A silver metal robotic arm holds a camera to film a deep-sea octopus crawling over the rocky deep seafloor. The camera has a silver metal housing with a black plastic cap and five red lights. The camera is on the left side of the frame, filming an octopus on the right side of the frame. The octopus has a bulbous pale purple body and eight arms. In the foreground is rocky seafloor covered in fine brown sediment. In the background is black water, with several fan-like corals on the horizon.

Press Release

08.06.25

MBARI researchers deploy new imaging system to study the movement of deep-sea octopus

3D visual data collected by MBARI’s groundbreaking EyeRIS camera system could contribute to the design of bioinspired robots in the future.

A photo collage shows 16 particles of marine snow. The individual particles are brown and come in a variety of shapes, including fluffy tufts, spirals, and tubes. The background is solid back.

News

06.19.25

Marine snow provides new clues about the export of carbon to the deep sea

Genetic sequences in microscopic particles of sinking organic material reveal the mechanisms of carbon transport into the deep sea that can help improve satellite-based models of carbon export.

Press Release

06.12.25

MBARI hosts 2025 Open House on Saturday, July 12

MBARI’s annual Open House is a free, family-friendly community event where visitors can meet the MBARI team and learn more about our latest discoveries and technology innovations.

Marine operations crew members launch a robotic submersible over the side of a research ship into the water. The crew members are on the left side of the frame. The submersible has a yellow float, black frame, and a red mechanical arm, and is equipped with various scientific instruments. A black tether extends offscreen at the top of the frame to a crane on the research ship. Marine operations crew members are holding two yellow tethers, one to carry video from the submersible’s cameras and one to stabilize the submersible during deployment. The background is gray-blue ocean and overcast gray sky.

Press Release

06.09.25

MBARI research and technology play integral role in new Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences

International collaborations leverage MBARI’s expertise and advanced technology to better understand polar ecosystems.

Press Release

06.04.25

MBARI welcomes new president and CEO Antje Boetius

World-renowned polar and deep-sea researcher will represent MBARI at the upcoming 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference.

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