Using sound and environmental DNA to find an elusive, endangered whale
March 31, 2020 – Researchers are using an Environmental Sample Processor to detect endangered Bryde’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico.
environmental sample processors
MBARI mourns the loss of Roman Marin III
October 2, 2019 – MBARI Senior Research Technician Roman Marin III passed away unexpectedly last month.
MBARI robots cruise Lake Erie looking for toxic algae
August 26, 2019 – Researchers from MBARI and NOAA are using underwater robots and a robotic laboratory to study potentially toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie.
An autonomous vehicle coupled with a robotic laboratory proves its worth
August 14, 2019 – Study confirms that autonomously collected samples of eDNA are equivalent to samples collected using traditional, manual methods.
Underwater robots track and sample microbial communities in a North Pacific eddy
July 30, 2019 – A new paper reveals how oceanographers can utilize robots to learn more about oceanic eddies and their inhabitants.
Fishing for genes
July 18, 2019 – In a program that could revolutionize environmental monitoring and fisheries management, MBARI’s Environmental Sample Processor is collecting environmental DNA from a coastal creek just north of Monterey Bay.
Underwater robot tracks toxic algae in Lake Erie
August 27, 2018 – Researchers from MBARI and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration are testing a new underwater robot that will swim around Lake Erie monitoring algae and toxins in the water.
Self-driving robots collect water samples to create snapshots of ocean microbes
Mar 7, 2018 – This month scientists will deploy a small fleet of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles that have the ability to collect and archive seawater samples automatically.
New vehicles to study microbial life in Hawaiian waters
Dec 7, 2017 – The first of the three MBARI autonomous vehicles designed to document microbial diversity in the ocean will be deployed off the Hawaiian coast on Friday.
MBARI biologists on the trail of “brain-eating amoebae”
Oct 2, 2017 – A recent field experiment in Yellowstone National Park saw MBARI researchers dodging hordes of tourists and herds of elk while searching for “brain-eating amoebae.”
Environmental Sample Processor monitors drinking water in Lake Erie
Aug 3, 2017 – MBARI’s Environmental Sample Processors (ESPs), originally designed to study toxic algal blooms in the ocean, are now being used to protect municipal drinking-water supplies.
What caused the most toxic algal bloom ever observed in Monterey Bay?
Jun 5, 2017 – In the spring of 2015, Monterey Bay experienced one of the most toxic algal blooms ever. A new paper shows that this bloom became particularly toxic because of an unusually low ratio of silicate to nitrate in Bay Waters.
Unusually high concentrations of toxic algae detected in Monterey Bay
Jun 1, 2015 – 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.
ECOHAB Spring 2014—Preliminary Observations
May 21, 2014 – It’s now late May and the spring 2014 ECOHAB field experiment is winding down. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) are still conducting occasional surveys of the San Pedro Bay, but the rest of the instruments have been recovered.
Study of harmful algal blooms builds on year-to-year experience
Apr 9, 2014 – In late March 2014, like stealthy electronic sharks, two underwater gliders began cruising the ocean in and around San Pedro Bay, off Southern California. But instead of looking for a meal of fish or sea lions, these robotic vehicles were looking for signs of microscopic algae.
Environmental Sample Processors help prevent seafood poisoning
Aug 1, 2013 – Washington state is one of the nation’s most prolific areas for shellfish harvesting and aquaculture. Yet, as in many other areas, Washington’s shellfish may cause seafood poisoning when certain types of harmful algae or bacteria become abundant in local waters.
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About MBARI
Research programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) encompass the entire ocean, from the surface waters to the deep seafloor, and from the coastal zone to the open sea. The need to understand the ocean in all its complexity and variability drives MBARI's research and development efforts.