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.
Ken Smith
Pulses of sinking carbon not captured by global climate models
December 3, 2018 – Pulses of sinking debris carry large amounts of carbon to the deep seafloor, but are poorly represented in global climate models.
Deep-sea feasts tied to sea cucumber population booms
March 7, 2016 – Some sea cucumbers may experience huge population booms following deep-sea “feasts.”
Big changes in the Sargasso Sea
Sept 23, 2014 – Over one thousand miles wide and three thousand miles long, the Sargasso Sea occupies almost two thirds of the North Atlantic Ocean. Within the sea, circling ocean currents accumulate mats of Sargassum seaweed that shelter a surprising variety of fishes, snails, crabs, and other small animals.
Feast and famine on the abyssal plain
November 11, 2013 – Population booms of algae or animals near the sea surface can sometimes result in huge pulses of organic material sinking to the deep seafloor.
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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.