Autonomous Sensing Technologies for Ecosystem Predictions/Perturbation in UPwelling systems (ASTEPUP) OverviewProductsTeamPublicationsLatest NewsTechnologies A STEP UP Research Project A fleet of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s (MBARI’s) Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (LRAUVs), an operational example of an uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV), will be combined with an underwater docking system that provides power and a communications gateway to realize a highly-configurable heterologous observing network capable of multiple modes of sensing and sampling. This system provides a means by which environmental monitoring around offshore energy infrastructure could be accomplished absent sustained crewed vessel support and human-in-the-loop intervention. Routine deployments of other MBARI autonomous observing systems provide additional ecosystem information regarding the interrelated wind-driven physical, chemical and biological processes including the complex relations between the biological communities themselves. Technical description of Fall 2025 field experiment in Monterey Bay Read More Products Situational Awareness ToolThe Oceanographic Decision Support System (ODSS) provides a means for visualizing ocean observing assets (ships, ASVs, AUVs, moorings, etc.), fostering mission planning, collaboration, and data analysis. The below animation shows a replay of the various platforms and vehicles used during the CANON 2025 field study (see above technical description) from September 3-25, 2025 in Monterey Bay. For the AUVs, vehicle tracks appear to jump from one location to the next since a GPS location position record only occurs when a vehicle surfaces; their underwater movements are not shown on this plot. Examples of environmental contextual data obtained during the CANON 2025 mission are shown below starting with the M1 mooring which is to the west of the view shown above. Other examples of data obtained using a fleet of LRAUVs follow. M1 Contour CTD string Metsys plot – Aug 24 to Sept 22, 2025 The panels below show wind speed and direction measured at the buoy. When the sticks point down then the wind is blowing to the south, up is to the north. Southward blowing winds are upwelling favorable in that they force a layer of surface water to flow away from the coast causing subsurface water to replace this water near the coast. The subsurface water is colder. In response to southward blowing winds we usually see a cooling of the surface waters at this location.MBARI provides these data “as is”, with no warranty, express or implied, of the data quality or consistency. Data are provided without support and without obligation on the part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to assist in its use, correction, modification, or enhancement. Caution: real time data from current mooring deployments have NOT been quality controlled.M1 Data – Last 30 days LRAUV plot data by vehicle Ahi + Planktivore + Planktivore_microscope 20µm-2cm resolution Brizo + ESP + ESP_eDNA sampler Makai + Piscivore + Piscivore_camera_10cm->10m Pontus + Biolum + Biolum_bioluminescence Triton + Triton camera + Triton_camera_1mm-20cm resolution Team Directory Christopher A. Scholin Outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer/Senior Scientist James Birch Director of the SURF Center Francisco P. Chavez Senior Scientist/Biological Oceanographer Kelly Benoit-Bird Science Chair/ Senior Scientist John Ryan Senior Research Specialist Yanwu Zhang Senior Research Engineer J. Andrew Hamilton Engineering Division Chair/ Mechanical Engineering Lead Brett Hobson Senior Mechanical Engineer Related Teams All Teams Biological Oceanography Group Team Biological Oceanography Group The Biological Oceanography Team studies how life in the sea responds to climate change. We advance the field by improving methods to detect, observe, and understand variations of marine flora and fauna. Marine Robots’ Onboard Intelligence for Capturing Oceanographic Features Team Marine Robots’ Onboard Intelligence for Capturing Oceanographic Features This team is developing onboard intelligence for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Team Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The Engineering Team is refining the LRAUV system and developing new capabilities to expand the breadth of ocean science applications that scientists can address with this new ocean robot. Related Projects Environmental Genomics Project Environmental Genomics Publications All Publications Ryan, J. P., W. K. Oestreich, K. J. Benoit-Bird, C. M. Waluk, C. A. Rueda, D. E. Cline, Y. Zhang, T. Cheeseman, J. Calambokidis, J. A. Fahlbusch, J. Barkowski, A. H. Fleming, C. N. Turner Tomaszewicz, J. A. Santora, T. Margolina, J. E. Joseph, A. S. Friedlaender, and J. A. Goldbogen. 2025. Audible changes in marine trophic ecology: Baleen whale song tracks foraging conditions in the eastern North Pacific. PLOS ONE, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318624 Ryan, J.P., K.J. Benoit-Bird, W.K. Oestreich, P. Leary, K.B. Smith, C.M. Waluk, D.E. Cade, J.A. Fahlbusch, B.L. Southall, J.E. Joseph, T. Margolina, J. Calambokidis, A. DeVogelaere, and J.A. Goldbogen. 2022. Oceanic giants dance to atmospheric rhythms: Ephemeral wind-driven resource tracking by blue whales. Ecology Letters, 25(11): 2435–2447. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14116 Truelove, N.K., N.V. Patin, M. Min, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, K.M. Yamahara, Y. Zhang, B. Y. Raanan, B. Kieft, B. Hobson, L.R. Thompson, K.D. Goodwin, and F.P. Chavez. 2022. Expanding the temporal and spatial scales of environmental DNA research with autonomous sampling. Environmental DNA, 4(4): 972–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.299 Oestreich, W.K., B. Abrahms, M.F. McKenna, J.A. Goldbogen, L.B. Crowder, and J.P. Ryan. 2022. Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life-history transitions to oceanographic conditions. Functional Ecology, 36: 882–895. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14013 Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811 Latest News All News Sorry, no results were found. Technologies All Technologies Instrument Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) Technology Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) This “lab in a can” provides on-site collection and analysis of water samples from the ocean, identifying the presence of organisms and/or biological toxins. Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Tethys Class Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Technology Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The long-range AUV (LRAUV) greatly expands the types of observations and experiments possible with autonomous platforms. Vehicle, Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Wave Glider Technology Wave Glider An autonomous surface vehicle built by Liquid Robotics, purchased and outfitted with sensors and communications gear by MBARI engineering. Observatory, Mooring Moorings Technology Moorings Moorings are used to measure basic oceanographic parameters like wind speed, temperature, and salinity. Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class Gulper Technology Gulper An upper-water-column autonomous underwater vehicle that rapidly acquires multiple large-volume seawater samples throughout the upper water column.
Biological Oceanography Group Team Biological Oceanography Group The Biological Oceanography Team studies how life in the sea responds to climate change. We advance the field by improving methods to detect, observe, and understand variations of marine flora and fauna.
Marine Robots’ Onboard Intelligence for Capturing Oceanographic Features Team Marine Robots’ Onboard Intelligence for Capturing Oceanographic Features This team is developing onboard intelligence for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs).
Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Team Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The Engineering Team is refining the LRAUV system and developing new capabilities to expand the breadth of ocean science applications that scientists can address with this new ocean robot.
Ryan, J. P., W. K. Oestreich, K. J. Benoit-Bird, C. M. Waluk, C. A. Rueda, D. E. Cline, Y. Zhang, T. Cheeseman, J. Calambokidis, J. A. Fahlbusch, J. Barkowski, A. H. Fleming, C. N. Turner Tomaszewicz, J. A. Santora, T. Margolina, J. E. Joseph, A. S. Friedlaender, and J. A. Goldbogen. 2025. Audible changes in marine trophic ecology: Baleen whale song tracks foraging conditions in the eastern North Pacific. PLOS ONE, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318624
Ryan, J.P., K.J. Benoit-Bird, W.K. Oestreich, P. Leary, K.B. Smith, C.M. Waluk, D.E. Cade, J.A. Fahlbusch, B.L. Southall, J.E. Joseph, T. Margolina, J. Calambokidis, A. DeVogelaere, and J.A. Goldbogen. 2022. Oceanic giants dance to atmospheric rhythms: Ephemeral wind-driven resource tracking by blue whales. Ecology Letters, 25(11): 2435–2447. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14116
Truelove, N.K., N.V. Patin, M. Min, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, K.M. Yamahara, Y. Zhang, B. Y. Raanan, B. Kieft, B. Hobson, L.R. Thompson, K.D. Goodwin, and F.P. Chavez. 2022. Expanding the temporal and spatial scales of environmental DNA research with autonomous sampling. Environmental DNA, 4(4): 972–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.299
Oestreich, W.K., B. Abrahms, M.F. McKenna, J.A. Goldbogen, L.B. Crowder, and J.P. Ryan. 2022. Acoustic signature reveals blue whales tune life-history transitions to oceanographic conditions. Functional Ecology, 36: 882–895. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14013
Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811
Instrument Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) Technology Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) This “lab in a can” provides on-site collection and analysis of water samples from the ocean, identifying the presence of organisms and/or biological toxins.
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Tethys Class Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Technology Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The long-range AUV (LRAUV) greatly expands the types of observations and experiments possible with autonomous platforms.
Vehicle, Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Wave Glider Technology Wave Glider An autonomous surface vehicle built by Liquid Robotics, purchased and outfitted with sensors and communications gear by MBARI engineering.
Observatory, Mooring Moorings Technology Moorings Moorings are used to measure basic oceanographic parameters like wind speed, temperature, and salinity.
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class Gulper Technology Gulper An upper-water-column autonomous underwater vehicle that rapidly acquires multiple large-volume seawater samples throughout the upper water column.