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.

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.