A non-profit oceanographic research center in Moss Landing, California. http://www.mbari.org/rssfeed.xml Experts hope to use sonar images of a sunken ship off California’s coast to determine whether the vessel is at risk of leaking oil. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) sent a robotic submersible down to the wreck of the S. S. Montebello last week in an effort to assess the condition of the ship. Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/auv-montebello/auv-montebello-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/auv-montebello/auv-montebello-release.html For almost three decades, oceanographers have been puzzled by the ability of microscopic algae to grow in mid-ocean areas where there is very little nitrate, an essential algal nutrient. In this week's issue of Nature, MBARI chemical oceanographer Ken Johnson, along with coauthors at the University of Washington and the University of Hawaii, show that mid-ocean algae obtain nitrate from deep water, as much as 250 meters below the surface. This finding will help scientists predict how open-ocean ecosystems could respond to global warming. Wed, 23 June 2010 11:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/johnson-gyre/johnson-gyre-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/johnson-gyre/johnson-gyre-release.html A new video created by the San Francisco public television station KQED captures the elegance and mystery of jellies. The program was created as part of the award-winning multimedia science series, QUEST. The QUEST video includes shots of mysterious, many-tentacled siphonophores from deep in Monterey Canyon, as well as graceful sea nettles on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Tue, 08 June 2010 11:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/quest-jellies.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/quest-jellies.html MBARI's Division of Marine Operations, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sent a high-tech robotic submersible to the oily waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The goal is to collect information about the oil from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig accident. Fri, 28 May 2010 11:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/auv-gulf/auv-gulf-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/auv-gulf/auv-gulf-release.html MBARI's 2009 Annual Report highlights not only the institution's accomplishments during 2009, but also some of the cutting-edge projects planned or in progress during 2010. The report was released this week and is available online. Mon, 24 May 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/ar-2009.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/ar-2009.html Deep-sea animals have evolved a variety of ways of moving through the water. Some are graceful. Some are improbable. But all are fascinating. This new video prepared by MBARI's Video Lab staff shows just a few of these approaches to underwater locomotion. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/youtube-locomotion.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/youtube-locomotion.html With dimensions comparable to the Grand Canyon, it's no surprise that Monterey Canyon harbors a variety of different seafloor habitats. But even on the flat, muddy floor of the canyon, animal communities vary considerably, according to a new paper by marine biologists Craig McClain and James Barry. Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/mcclain-habitats.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/mcclain-habitats.html Suppose you're walking along the beach and you see a jellyfish washed up on the sand. Then you see another and then another. It's a jellyfish invasion! What do you do? Who do you call? If MBARI researcher Steve Haddock has his way, you'll take some photos and maybe a few notes, and send them in to his new Jellywatch website (www.jellywatch.org), to share your discovery with the world. Mon, 23 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/jellywatch/jellywatch-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/jellywatch/jellywatch-release.html These days, when you can find your way through the woods using a cell phone or explore Mount Everest on your home computer, it's hard to imagine that as many as 100,000 mountains on Earth have never been seen by human eyes, let alone explored. For all intents and purposes, these mountains are invisible, because they lie thousands of meters beneath the ocean waves. A new, special edition of Oceanography magazine summarizes fascinating new research on seamounts, and includes several articles authored or coauthored by MBARI scientists. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/seamounts.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/seamounts.html On February 11, 2010, seventy five years after the dirigible USS Macon crashed into the Pacific Ocean, its crash site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This underwater wreck was extensively documented using MBARI submersibles. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/macon-register.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/macon-register.html The majority of deep-sea animals, and perhaps the majority of all animals on Earth, live in the "deep pelagic zone"--the dark waters between the ocean surface and the seafloor. An important research paper by MBARI marine biologist Bruce Robison points out that this seemingly remote habitat is increasingly being affected by human activities. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/deep-conservation/deep-conservation-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2010/deep-conservation/deep-conservation-release.html Creeping slowly across the deep seafloor on long, spindly legs, giant sea spiders are found in many deep-sea areas. But, as with many deep-sea animals, we know very little about how sea spiders live. A recent paper by MBARI-affiliated researchers shows that sea spiders suck the juices out of deep-sea anemones. The researchers also discovered several locations where both anemones and sea spiders congregate in the dark depths of Monterey Canyon. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/seaspiders.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2010/seaspiders.html It sounds like a classic horror story—eyeless, mouthless worms lurk in the dark, settling onto dead animals and sending out green "roots" to devour their bones. In fact, such "boneworms" do exist in the deep sea. After planting several dead whales on the seafloor, a team of biologists recently announced that as many as 15 different species of boneworms may live in Monterey Bay alone. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/osedax-spp/osedax-spp-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/osedax-spp/osedax-spp-release.html Molecular biologist Christopher Scholin has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the institute’s Board of Directors announced today. Scholin, who most recently served three years as the institute’s Science Chair, replaces Marcia McNutt, who is leaving MBARI to become Director of the United States Geological Survey. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/scholin/scholin-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/scholin/scholin-release.html During the November 3 meeting of MBARI's board of Directors, board member Julie Packard was presented with a plaque containing photos of a new species of deep-sea coral that was recently named after her. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/newcoral.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/newcoral.html The vast muddy expanses of the abyssal plains occupy about 60 percent of the Earth's surface and are important in global carbon cycling. Based on long-term studies of two such areas, a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that animal communities on the abyssal seafloor are affected in a variety of ways by climate change. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/smith-climate/smith-climate-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/smith-climate/smith-climate-release.html On October 21, 2009 Marcia McNutt was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the United States Geological Survey. In accepting the directorship, McNutt is leaving her position as president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), which she has held since 1997. Thur, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/marcia/marcia-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/marcia/marcia-release.html Applications now being accepted for 2010 MBARI postdoctoral positions. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/oed/jobs/Postdocs-2010.html http://www.mbari.org/oed/jobs/Postdocs-2010.html MBARI News Release: Like the robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which wheeled tirelessly across the dusty surface of Mars, a new robot spent most of July traveling across the muddy ocean bottom, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the California coast. This robot, the Benthic Rover, has been providing scientists with an entirely new view of life on the deep seafloor. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/rover/rover-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/rover/rover-release.html Deep-sea worms have evolved an amazing array of body types and survival strategies. Some worms have spherical bodies that drift in the currents like little transparent marbles with mouths. Other worms have developed "roots" that burrow into and digest whale bones. The latest addition to this collection of oddities is a group of swimming worms with small oval sacs of fluid hanging from their bodies, just behind their heads. When the worms are disturbed, they release these sacs, which then emit a bright, luminescent green glow. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/green-bomber.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/green-bomber.html On September 12, 2009, the public will get a once-a-year opportunity to visit MBARI during our annual Open House. The event will feature science and technology exhibits, displays of deep-sea video from Monterey Bay, research presentations, children's activities, ocean career information, and much more. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/about/openhouse.html http://www.mbari.org/about/openhouse.html Scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have successfully conducted the first remote detection of a harmful algal species and its toxin below the ocean’s surface. The achievement was recently reported in the June issue of Oceanography. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/noaa-esp/noaa-esp-release.html http://www.mbari.org/news/news_releases/2009/noaa-esp/noaa-esp-release.html On July 9, 2009, President Obama announced his intent to nominate MBARI's President and CEO, Marcia McNutt, as Director of the United States Geological Survey and Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/marcia-usgs.html http://www.mbari.org/news/homepage/2009/marcia-usgs.html