Bruce H. Robison, Principal Investigator

 Vampyroteuthis

Between the surface of the sea and the ocean floor lies avast fluid universe, Earth’s least-known environment.

The high operational capabilities of MBARI’s ROVs, Ventana and Tiburon, with their sophisticated cameras, samplers, and sensors, has afforded investigators the opportunity to spend thousands of hours surveying and describing the deep waters of the ocean. The Institute’s programs to observe and survey these little-known life forms in their native habitat, and to collect living specimens for laboratory studies, are the most extensive such efforts to date.

The reward of regular investigations of midwater ecology with an ROV is a radically new perspective on the deep sea. Many of MBARI’s most stunning discoveries have come from the time-series data of midwater ROV surveys.

*If you are looking for supplemental materials from publications, please contact the corresponding authors directly.

Midwater image gallery