The undescribed species in our backyard
Steve Haddock and his team collected at least 22 different species of previously unclassified animals aboard MBARI’s research vessel Western Flyer.
MBARI news—2006
MBARI creates new observatory 3,500 meters below the ocean surface
On November 6, 2006, MBARI engineers put the finishing touches on an amazing array of instruments that can collect data 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) below the ocean surface and send that data to scientists on shore in real time.
Using computers to look for fish
Over the last few weeks, MBARI engineer Duane Edgington and his team members have been testing a computer system that will analyze undersea video to determine when something interesting is happening.
Underwater mapping by robot submarine
Eight MBARI researchers recently spent six marathon days at sea, using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to map the summit of Davidson Seamount.
MBARI adjunct Edith Widder wins MacArthur Award
On September 19, 2006 MBARI adjunct Edith Widder was awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant in recognition of her creative and pioneering studies of bioluminescent (glowing) marine organisms.
Ocean expedition explores submerged wreck of the historic naval airship USS Macon in NOAA Monterey Bay Sanctuary
On September 17, 2006, researchers from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary program and MBARI will embark on a expedition to study the submerged wreck of the airship USS Macon, the largest and last U.S.-built, rigid lighter-than-air craft.
Schools of undersea robots give oceanographers new eyes and ears in the sea
These undersea robots, along with other instruments carried on ships, airplanes, satellites, buoys, and drifters, are providing oceanographers with new ways of seeing and hearing the ocean in unprecedented detail.
MBARI creates revolutionary deep-sea observatory 100 kilometers offshore of the Central California coast
MBARI engineers and scientists celebrated the deployment of a new oceanographic mooring that connects instruments on the deep seafloor with solar panels and a data relay system at the sea surface.
Midgets and giants in the deep sea
Biologists have long observed that when animals colonize and evolve on isolated islands, small animals tend to become larger while large animals tend to become smaller. Recent research lead by MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Craig McClain suggests that a similar trend affects animals as they adapt to life in the deep sea.
Life on the line—Studying the environmental effects of a deep-sea communications cable
A unique paper by researchers at MBARI and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary describes how a deep-sea communications cable affects animals living on and within the seafloor.
Robotic DNA lab helps scientists study microscopic marine life on Earth and other planets
Last week, a team of MBARI scientists and engineers deployed a new robotic undersea DNA lab in Monterey Bay. In the next year or two, this team, led by molecular biologist Chris Scholin, will be using a similar robotic lab to study microorganisms at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
Discovery of the “Yeti crab”
An international team of scientists recently announced the discovery of a new species of blind deep-sea crab whose legs are covered with long, pale yellow hairs. This crab was first observed in March 2005 by marine biologists using the research submarine Alvin to explore hydrothermal vents along the Pacific-Antarctic ridge, south of Easter Island.
NOAA and MBARI announce winners in competition to design an environmentally-friendly anchor
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and MBARI announced today the winners of their design competition for an “environmentally-friendly” anchor.
First observations of an egg-brooding squid
The world’s oceans harbor a wide variety of squid, from 10-centimeter-long market squid to the elusive giant squid, which may grow to over 20 meters in length. Based on decades of observations, marine biologists assumed that all of these species of squids laid their eggs in clusters on the sea floor, where the eggs developed and hatched without any help from their parents.
DNA from the deep
What kinds of microbes live beneath the surface of the open ocean? What are they doing down there? These are the sorts of questions that MBARI researcher Chris Preston has been trying to answer in her research.
Ocean expedition to explore ancient coral gardens—Public can share discoveries on NOAA web site
A team of scientists from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, MBARI, and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, along with filmmakers from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), set sail today on MBARI’s research ship Western Flyer to explore Davidson Seamount.
Tiny marine organisms reflect ocean warming
Sediment cores collected from the seafloor off Southern California reveal that plankton populations in the Northeastern Pacific changed significantly in response to a general warming trend that started in the early 1900s.
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About MBARI
Research programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) encompass the entire ocean, from the surface waters to the deep seafloor, and from the coastal zone to the open sea. The need to understand the ocean in all its complexity and variability drives MBARI's research and development efforts.