Seafloor biology research

A third group of marine biologists studies “benthic” animals and microbes that live on or within the seafloor.

Canadian Arctic 2016 Expedition

A group of MBARI scientists and engineers, led by geologist Charlie Paull, returned to the Beaufort Sea on a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker to study the Arctic seafloor.

Lost shipping container study

August 24, 2015

While observing the seabed at 1,300 meters depth during a dive with the ROV Ventana in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, researchers discovered a shipping container resting on the seabed.

Our expeditions to the sea floor result in biological as well as geological observations and collections. New fish and sponge species have also been discovered. In another study, deep sea coral on Davidson Seamount were examined and isotopes in their skeletons were used to study past climate change.

Antarctic research

August 6, 2015

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.

Station M long-term time series

January 5, 2020

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.

Bone-eating worms

July 21, 2015

In 2002, MBARI scientists first observed two very odd species of worms living on the bones of a gray whale. Their trunks and brilliant red plumes produced a flowing "shag" carpets that covered many of the bones. The genus Osedax (Latin for bone eater) was formally described in 2004.

Gene flow and dispersal

July 21, 2015

Analyses of DNA sequences from nuclear and mitochondrial genes have allowed us to reconstruct the recent demographic history of species. Rates of gene flow, geographical patterns of differentiation, and interspecific hybridization have been documented now for a number of deep-sea animals that live at vents and seeps.

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.

Biology and ecology

The Benthic Biology Lab looks at the habitats and lives of deep-sea organisms. The cold, dark, deep sea is relatively unexplored, so much of our research aims to discover what is there and how it lives.