MBARI Adjunct Victoria Orphan has been named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow, in recognition of her work on microbial communities in extreme environments and their impact on the cycling of nutrients and energy through the oceans.

Cannibalism is not so unusual in the deep sea, especially for squid, but until recently the diet of Gonatus squid was largely unknown. Remotely operated vehicle observations of these squid in their natural habitat have enabled scientists to learn a great deal more about their feeding behavior.

From August 24 to 28, 2016, researchers from MBARI and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary conducted research on the deep seafloor of the Sanctuary. The public can read daily notes on these dives on the Sanctuary's web site.

MBARI’s Tethys long-range autonomous underwater vehicle recently travelled to one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems—the Great Lakes. This operation is a collaborative effort between MBARI and the Great Lakes Science Center, and is this vehicle’s first-ever freshwater deployment.

In 2014, MBARI researchers discovered a jet engine on the floor of Monterey Bay. Since that time, MBARI Deputy Director of Marine Operations Chris Grech has been gathering clues as to how this engine arrived on the muddy seafloor of the bay.

Last Thursday, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) awarded the prestigious Maurice Ewing Medal to MBARI marine chemist Peter Brewer. This medal is given annually to recognize “significant original contributions to the ocean sciences."

This week MBARI joins the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Science Friday, and other organizations in celebrating Cephalopod Week 2016.

In early June researchers from MBARI and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary traveled to Sur Ridge to study the corals and sponges that grow on this fascinating underwater mountain.

This unusual hydrothermal vent is one of many discoveries from a Gulf of California expedition highlighted in the 2015 Annual Report. The publication also features several science and engineering projects conducted close to home in Monterey Bay and includes a preview of some of the institute's emerging technologies.

The smallest member of the MBARI seagoing fleet, the R/V Paragon, often runs multiple missions in a day.

Some sea cucumbers may experience huge population booms following deep-sea “feasts.”

The deep sea is full of strange and little-known worms. A new paper coauthored by MBARI molecular biologist Robert Vrijenhoek describes four newly named species of worms in the genus Xenoturbella that have mouths, but no eyes, brains, stomachs, or anuses.

Underwater avalanches and turbidity currents carry huge amounts of sediment, organic material, and pollutants down submarine canyons and into the deep sea. Yet geologists know very little about how sediment moves during these events.

Submarine canyons are notoriously difficult to study because underwater avalanches periodically surge down the bottoms of many canyons, often burying or destroying scientific instruments.

Submarine canyons are notoriously difficult to study because underwater avalanches periodically surge down the bottoms of many canyons, often burying or destroying scientific instruments. After more than a decade of placing (and sometimes losing) equipment in Monterey Canyon, MBARI researchers have created a unique new tool to study canyon processes.

An amazing variety of bristle worms thrive in the ocean, both on the seafloor and up in the water column. Here are some examples of the bizarre and wonderful polychaetes that MBARI researchers have seen in the ocean depths.

For the second year in a row, MBARI has partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Science Friday, the American Museum of Natural History, and other groups to present a wonderful array of cephalopod images and videos as part of "Cephalopod Week."

In May 2015, as part of a large-scale experiment, ocean researchers measured some of the highest concentrations of harmful algae and their toxin ever observed in Monterey Bay.

May 11, 2015 - How can you track changes in complex marine ecosystems over time? MBARI scientists are part of a team trying to do just this with a five-year, $7 million grant through the National Ocean Partnership Program.

Female squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish end life with a bang. Usually, these soft-bodied cephalopods die after a single, end-of-life reproductive blaze of glory. But scientists have recently learned that one deep-red, foot-long cephalopod breaks this deadly pattern.