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.
seafloor process-topic
Climate change in extreme environments
Our lab group uses autonomous instrumentation to study ecological responses of marine communities in extreme environments to changes in climate and carbon cycling.
Emerging science of a high CO2/low pH ocean
MBARI scientists and engineers are studying the impact of a high CO2 / low pH environment on ocean ecology.
Geological Changes Group
Submarine canyons are considered to be a major conduit for sediment transport from the continent into the deep sea. Under the direction of Charlie Paull we have begun to study the canyon using multiple techniques used to understand these dynamic processes.
Ocean chemistry of greenhouse gases
Investigations of the physical and environmental chemistry of carbon dioxide and methane using MBARI’s advanced technology.
Revealing the secrets of Sur Ridge
MBARI researchers are leveraging groundbreaking technologies to shed new light on Sur Ridge, a large underwater geologic feature that is a hotspot for marine life.
Submarine volcanoes
Volcanic events and deposits in the ocean are largely concealed from view and more difficult to sample than volcanoes on land. The submarine volcanism group studies processes that form and modify volcanoes in the sea.
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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.