upper ocean - topic

1

Acoustical ocean ecology

In the ocean, most resources are unevenly distributed and highly dynamic. The Acoustical Ocean Ecology Group investigates how animals respond to constantly changing pelagic environments,

2

Biological Oceanography Group

One of the longest-standing projects of the Biological Oceanography Group is the Monterey Bay Time Series. Research ships and moorings have collected detailed datasets of temperature, salinity, oxygen, CO2, phytoplankton and other changing variables since 1989.

3

Chemical Sensor Group

The Chemical Sensors project seeks to understand changing ocean chemistry because chemical composition of the ocean affects the entire food web. The group outfits floats with the ever-developing chemical sensors and uses them to keep track of changes in nitrate and pH among other variables.

4

Molecular ecology

The Molecular Ecology Group described how factors—such as geographic distance, topology of the seafloor, and deep-sea currents—affect the stability and dispersal of vent clams, mussels, snails and tubeworms, and studied the genetic connections among populations such as these, especially those that thrive in environments like hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps, wood, and whale falls.

biological pump
5

Interdisciplinary field experiments

MBARI’s Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) Initiative is an interdisciplinary effort that utilizes smart, autonomous devices designed to cooperate with each other to collect oceanographic information.