Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group
Climate change in extreme environments
Ken Smith, Principal Investigator
Our lab group uses autonomous instrumentation to study ecological responses of marine communities in extreme environments to changes in climate and carbon cycling. The lab conducts an ongoing time-series study at Station M, 4,000 meters deep in the Northeast Pacific. In addition to this work, studies in Antarctica measure impacts of melting icebergs on marine biogeochemistry (see published research). Our recent work in the Sargasso Sea has shown a major decline in biodiversity over the past 40 years, during which ocean temperatures and acidity have risen steadily.
Station M: A long-term observatory on the abyssal seafloor
For 30 years, MBARI Senior Scientist Ken Smith and his colleagues have studied deep-sea communities at a research site called Station M.
Station M long-term time series
The Station M study is one of the most detailed investigations of any abyssal area in the world ocean. Over this 25-year study, we have continuously monitored the amount of sinking particulate matter through the benthic boundary layer.
Monitoring instrumentation suite
We use a suite of instruments, most of which are autonomous, to perform long time-series monitoring of the sea floor at Station M, off shore of the California Coast (34.5°N, 123° W).
Sargasso Sea research
Sargassum macroalgal rafts in the Sargasso Sea are vital feeding and spawning grounds for pelagic fishes, seabirds, sea turtles and whales. How might changes in ocean conditions and Sargassum habitat impact rafting animals?
Antarctic research
Global climate change is causing Antarctic ice shelves to shrink and split apart, yielding thousands of free-drifting icebergs in the nearby Weddell Sea. These floating islands of ice are having a major impact on the ecology and chemistry of the ocean around them, serving as “hotspots” for ocean life.
Benthic Rover II
The Benthic Rover II is a fully autonomous underwater vehicle capable of back-to-back long-duration deployments to 4,000 m depth. It provides key data about carbon in deep-sea ecosystems.
Team
Ken Smith
Senior Scientist/
Marine Ecologist
Christine Huffard
Senior Research Specialist
Alana Sherman
Electrical Engineering Group Lead
Science
- Upper-ocean systems
- Midwater research
- Seafloor processes
- Areas of study
- Past research
Related
Station M Instrument Servicing Expedition 2018
October 17-25, 2018 – The Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group traveled out to Station M to service autonomous instruments that have been down at 4,000 meters for the past year.
Pelagic-Benthic Coupling 2018 Expedition
April 18-25, 2018
MBARI's Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group, led by Chief Scientist Ken Smith, return to their study site at Station M, located 200 kilometers off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, to understand how the supply of carbon affects deep-sea communities on the seafloor.
MBARI's Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group, led by Chief Scientist Ken Smith, return to their study site at Station M, located 200 kilometers off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, to understand how the supply of carbon affects deep-sea communities on the seafloor.
Pelagic-Benthic Coupling 2015 Expedition
June 17-26, 2015
MBARI's Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group, led by Chief Scientist Ken Smith, is currently working on the R/V Western Flyer at Station M, located 200 kilometers off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.
MBARI's Pelagic-Benthic Coupling Group, led by Chief Scientist Ken Smith, is currently working on the R/V Western Flyer at Station M, located 200 kilometers off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.
