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.