MBARI's advanced technology plays integral role in international expedition to the Arctic • MBARI

MBARI researchers returned to the Arctic with collaborators from the Korea Polar Research Institute and Geological Survey of Canada to study seafloor processes in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.

Why It Matters

MBARI technology is helping scientists answer fundamental questions about a remote region of the Arctic. The information we gather can help policymakers make decisions about underwater infrastructure that coastal communities depend on.

A scientist measures a piece of ice on the deck of a research ship on a sunny day. The scientist has white hair and a white beard and is wearing a blue down jacket and bright blue rubber gloves. He is holding a pair of silver metal calipers. In the background is yellow metal machinery aboard the ship and clear blue sky. — In September, Senior Scientist Charlie Paull and a team of MBARI scientists and engineers joined an international expedition to the Arctic aboard the Korea Polar Research Institute’s IBRV *Araon*. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

For more than two decades, MBARI scientists and engineers have been working to develop technology and conduct research that can help answer questions about the processes that shape the seafloor in the Arctic.

Last month, 16 researchers from MBARI’s Continental Margin Processes Team, Seafloor Mapping Lab, CoMPAS Lab, and Seafloor Processes Team participated in a 30-day leg aboard the ice-breaking research vessel (IBRV) Araon operated by the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). The expedition also included longtime partners from the Geological Survey of Canada and other collaborators.

“MBARI’s advanced technology has transformed our understanding of seafloor processes in this remote part of the Arctic. We welcomed the opportunity to return to the Arctic to study an environment that’s changing rapidly. Each expedition reveals a new piece of the puzzle while sparking new questions,” said Senior Scientist Charlie Paull, chief scientist for this leg of the expedition.

A longtime collaboration

Five marine operations crew retrieve a seafloor mapping robot aboard an inflatable black Zodiac boat. The crew are wearing hard hats, bright orange life vests, and bright orange jackets. Two crew members are securing a cylindrical robot with a yellow plastic housing. The background is gray ocean. — For more than two decades, MBARI has been part of an international team working to study the seafloor in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

Since 2003, MBARI has been part of an international collaboration with the Geological Survey of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and since 2016, KOPRI to study the seafloor at the edge of the Canadian Arctic shelf. This remote area only recently became accessible to scientists as warmer temperatures caused sea ice to retreat.

A mapping survey by Canadian researchers in 2010 first uncovered the region’s distinctively rugged seafloor terrain—pingos (conical mounds associated with ground ice formation), craters, slide scars, and mud volcanoes. MBARI researchers have since participated in eight expeditions to the Canadian Beaufort Sea, leveraging our advanced technology to understand the processes sculpting the seafloor in this region.

The complex morphology of the seafloor in this region of the Arctic tells a story that involves both the melting of ancient permafrost that was submerged beneath the sea long ago and the deformation of the modern seafloor that occurs when released water refreezes. These dramatic and ongoing seafloor changes have major implications for policymakers who need to make decisions about underwater infrastructure in the Arctic.

Returning to the Arctic

Two scientists review scientific data on a laptop computer screen. The researcher on the left is standing, has short curly brown hair, is wearing a dark fleece jacket and a plaid shirt, and is holding a silver metal laptop computer. The researcher on the right is seated, has long brown hair, is wearing a dark jacket and jeans, and is holding a notebook and pen. The researchers are in the control room aboard a research ship with computer monitors displaying a live camera feed and data from a deep-sea robot. The frame is illuminated with red light. — 2025 marked MBARI’s ninth expedition to the Arctic. The team of 16 scientists and engineers leveraged new tech innovations to study the dynamic processes sculpting the seafloor in this remote region. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

This year’s expedition enlisted a diverse array of MBARI technologies to better understand the dynamics of underwater permafrost formation and decomposition. The team aimed to map and sample more widely in the area to determine how extensive this ongoing deformation is and whether this permafrost ice contains greenhouse gases.

They began with multibeam mapping to chart the seafloor, sub-bottom profiling to peer beneath the sediments, and a series of gravity cores and multi-cores from IBRV Araon to recover sediment samples. From these cores, geologists extracted porewater for geochemical analyses, and in several gravity cores, they even found ice embedded within the sediment.

MBARI’s advanced technology allowed for targeted, high-resolution research along the Mackenzie Trough, a 130-kilometer (80-mile) underwater glacial valley in the western Canadian Beaufort Sea.

Mapping the Arctic seafloor

Six marine operations crew prepare to deploy a seafloor mapping robot from the deck of a research ship on a sunny day. The crew are all wearing hard hats and bright orange jackets. The robot has a cylindrical yellow plastic housing. In the background is the green deck of the ship with assorted maritime equipment. — MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab conducted surveys with an AUV, providing the expedition team with high-resolution maps to identify areas for further study. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

Detailed maps of the seafloor provide critical context for science operations in the Arctic. MBARI’s seafloor mapping autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is outfitted with sonar instrumentation that can visualize seafloor features at meter-scale resolution, detecting features about the size of a dining room table. Scientists can use maps from these vehicles to identify specific locations for further study. Repeated surveys of the same area also reveal how seafloor terrain changes over time.

During this year’s expedition, members of MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab, Autonomous Systems Operations Group, and Electrical Engineering Group coordinated two surveys with the seafloor mapping AUV Mapper 1 at research sites in shallow waters near the shelf edge—the Gary Knolls underwater mounds had previously only been mapped in low resolution by ships, while the western edge of the Mackenzie Trough had not been mapped with AUVs since 2017.

“These new data provide a fresh perspective on the subtle features and processes shaping this part of the continental shelf. By comparing them to bathymetry data collected over decades of research in this region, we’ll be able to quantitatively measure how the seafloor has changed over the past eight years,” said Principal Engineer Dave Caress, who leads MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab.

Surveying the crests of pingos

Two scientists examine sediment samples collected by a deep-sea robot. The scientist on the left has a white beard and is wearing a white hard hat, a blue jacket, blue jeans, and brown shoes. The scientist on the right has a gray goatee and is wearing a yellow hard hat, white lab coat, and bright blue rubber gloves. They are examining black metal canisters containing cylindrical push cores with silver metal handles. In the background is the deck of the research ship. — MBARI’s Continental Margin Processes Team will now study samples of sediment and ice collected with MBARI’s MiniROV to better understand the formation and decomposition of submarine permafrost. Image: Eric Martin © 2025 MBARI

MBARI’s MiniROV is a nimble remotely operated vehicle with cameras and sampling equipment that can be configured for a variety of science missions and operated from a portable control room aboard the deck of IBRV Araon. This vehicle enables visual observations of seafloor features, can collect samples of sediment and ice, and is equipped with sensors to log temperature and salinity.

The continental shelf edge on the western flank of the Mackenzie Trough is studded with pingos, mounds formed as ice pushes up through the seafloor. Comparing maps from previous MBARI AUV surveys with data collected during this expedition, the team learned that craters on the crests of some pingos sank deeper while others grew taller, helping them identify sites for closer study. They conducted five surveys with the MiniROV to better understand the timing and mechanism of these changes that occurred between 2017 and 2025.

MBARI researchers used the MiniROV to collect sediment samples with push cores from the pingo crests. Prior to the expedition, technicians in MBARI’s Manufacturing Group created a custom ice-coring tool, allowing the MiniROV to drill into exposed ice formations and retrieve samples for further study in the lab. These samples will be compared to cores collected by the team aboard IBRV Araon.

“Thanks to MBARI’s pilots and our engineers, we were able to gather invaluable observations and samples of the Arctic seafloor. The data we logged during our surveys will help advance our understanding of the active decomposition and formation of submarine permafrost,” said Paull.

Piloting new mapping and navigation technology

The MiniROV received an upgrade from MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab for this year’s expedition.

The new Arctic mapping sled includes seven optical and acoustic imaging systems, capable of visualizing the seafloor at centimeter-scale and gathering quantitative measurements of underwater features like pingos and craters. This new capability will help researchers determine the rates of subseafloor deformation created by the freezing and thawing of near-seafloor ice.

An engineer examines a live feed of navigation data from sensors aboard a deep-sea robot. The engineer has short black hair and is wearing a blue t-shirt. He is watching a computer screen with several windows displaying technical data, computer code, and navigation plots. The frame is illuminated with red light. — This year’s expedition to the Arctic marked the debut of a new mapping and navigation sled developed by engineers in MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

The mapping sled also includes high-precision navigation sensors, allowing the vehicle to take advantage of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques. Frequently used to generate real-time maps of terrestrial terrain as a vehicle moves in or above an environment, CoMPAS Lab engineers have adapted SLAM to navigate in complex underwater environments. Sensors on the sled track the MiniROV’s position and orientation, and then SLAM stitches together visual information from the cameras in real time to create high-resolution maps.

Importantly, this expedition was a critical field test for developing the CoMPAS Lab’s low-cost, adaptable sensors for high-resolution, autonomous seafloor mapping. “MBARI’s state-of-the-art sensors and software are transforming mapping of the seafloor. Adapting these powerful tools for use on smaller robots will be a major leap forward in ocean exploration,” said Principal Engineer Giancarlo Troni, who leads MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab.

Revealing ice beneath the seafloor

In addition to mobilizing MBARI’s advanced underwater robots, the team used a controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) system launched from IBRV Araon to determine the extent and distribution of submarine permafrost. On loan from the University of Malta and upgraded by MBARI engineers, CSEM technology can detect ice and brackish water buried in submarine sediments.

Five researchers prepare to deploy a scientific instrument from the stern of a research ship on an overcast day. The researchers are wearing hard hats, orange life vests, orange jackets, black pants, and dark boots. They are holding a line connected to scientific instruments out of frame to the right. They are standing on the wooden deck of the ship with maritime equipment on the right side of the frame. The background is gray ocean and overcast gray sky. — Using a CSEM system, members of MBARI’s Seafloor Processes Team looked for electromagnetic signals that would indicate the presence of ice and groundwater in the seafloor. Image: Dave Caress © 2025 MBARI

Different types of sediments respond distinctively to electrical signals. The CSEM system collects information about the electrical properties of the sediments up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the seafloor. A low-power dipole transmitter is towed behind the ship, generating an electromagnetic field. A series of receivers towed further behind capture the returning signal. Variations in the measured field reflect subtle changes in the resistivity of the subsurface sediments, helping researchers determine where there is ice. During the expedition, MBARI researchers conducted three CSEM surveys. These electromagnetic data will allow our researchers to identify areas with ice and groundwater.

“This expedition offered another unique opportunity to get a comprehensive picture of the Arctic seafloor using a diverse suite of technologies,” said Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef, who leads MBARI’s Seafloor Processes Team.

A critical moment for the cryosphere

A pilot steers a remote deep-sea robot from the control room aboard a research ship. The pilot is wearing a white trucker hat and a gray hooded sweatshirt. He is seated in front of a wall of six video monitors displaying live camera feeds and data from the robot as it moves along the seafloor. He controls the robot with a joystick. In the background is a tower of computer equipment. The frame is illuminated with red light. — MBARI’s work in the Canadian Beaufort Sea is answering fundamental questions about the decomposition and formation of submarine permafrost, with implications for our understanding of the distribution of permafrost across the Arctic. Image: Mauro Candeloro © 2025 MBARI

Ice-covered environments host unique communities of life and are integral to the health of our planet. Collectively known as the cryosphere, glaciers, snow cover, ice sheets, sea ice, and permafrost are experiencing rapid changes as our planet continues to warm.

This year marks the opening of the United Nations Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, an international initiative that aims to better understand and protect critically important polar environments. MBARI’s ongoing research in the Arctic is one of several projects contributing to global efforts to take the pulse of polar regions.

“Our work in the Arctic is establishing a critical baseline to assess and track the impacts of climate change on this region. Our findings from more than 20 years of research provide a valuable historical context to help us begin to understand what the future may hold,” said Paull.

This work was funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Korean Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries (KIMST RS-2021-KS211512), the Geological Survey of Canada, and the US Naval Research Laboratory.

This marine geoscience research program took place in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The program was reviewed by the Inuvialuit Environmental Impact Screening Committee (EISC Registry File: 03/25-11), the Government of Northwest Territories (License No. 17745), the Government of Yukon (License No. 25-21S&E), and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (Permit No. IGR-1670).

Read expedition logs from the MBARI team.

Story by Senior Science Communication and Media Relations Specialist Raúl Nava

For additional information or images relating to this article, please email pressroom@mbari.org.

You might be interested in:

MBARI’s advanced technology plays integral role in international expedition to the Arctic