Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
An aerial view of the MBARI facilities in Moss Landing, California. The research institution is located on the shoreline of Monterey Bay, at the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Credit: M. Leet for MBARI (c) 1997

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is a nonprofit research institution where scientists and engineers work together to explore and study the sea. In the words of founder David Packard: "The mission of MBARI is to achieve and maintain a position as a world center for advanced research and education in ocean science and technology, and to do so through the development of better instruments, systems, and methods for scientific research in the deep waters of the ocean." MBARI scientists and engineers conduct multidisciplinary research in a variety of fields, including marine biology, marine chemistry, marine geology, physical oceanography, and marine technology. Located in Moss Landing, California, MBARI is supported primarily by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Collaborator Contributions

Big Red Deep Sea Jellyfish

Big Red Jellyfish

Marine biologists from MBARI nicknamed this startlingly large jellyfish—which grows over one meter (three feet) in diameter—"big red." It would be hard to miss, except that it lives at depths of 650 to 1,500 meters (2,000 to 4,800 feet). Big red uses four to seven fleshy "feeding arms" instead of stinging tentacles to capture food and has been observed off the west coast of North America, Baja California, Hawaii, and Japan.

An autonomous underwater vehicle from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) being launched from the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter in the Gulf of Mexico.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Gulf of Mexico

An autonomous underwater vehicle from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) being launched from the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter in the Gulf of Mexico. More about the Gulf oil spill can be found in our Gulf oil spill section.

These tubeworm colonies grow where hot, mineral-laden water flows out of the seafloor in undersea hot springs.

Riftia - Tubeworms

These photos of the tubeworm Riftia pachyptila were taken by MBARI's remotely operated vehicle Tiburon at a depth of about 2,000 meters (6562 feet) in the Guymas Basin of the Gulf of California. The Riftia tubeworm colonies grow where hot, mineral-laden water flows out of the seafloor in undersea hot springs. As volcanic activity deep below the seafloor changes, sometimes these hot springs stop flowing. In this case, the entire worm colony may die off. But new hot springs appear in other areas, and these are colonized by tubeworm larvae within a year or so.

Photograph of a red "jellyfish" with many fine tentacles surrounding the bell and floating against a black background.

Red Jellyfish

Sea jellies such as this one in the genus Benthocodon are commonly seen on or near the seafloor in the Monterey Canyon off central California. Some jellies in this genus feed on animals that live in seafloor sediment. Learn more about life in the deep sea in the Deep Ocean Exploration section.

The “Dumbo Octopod” swims by moving its fins, pulsing its webbed arms, or pushing water through its funnel for jet propulsion.

Grimpoteuthis - Dumbo octopod

This small octopod was observed along the north wall of Soquel Canyon in Monterey Bay. Also known as the "Dumbo octopod," the Grimpoteuthis is a benthic mollusc found on the ocean floor at depths of 300-400 meters (984-1312 ft). Dumbo octopods, which can grow to up to 20 centimeters (8 inches), are soft-bodied octopods with a pair of fins located on their mantle and webbing between their arms.

Geologist Charles Paull (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) investigates geologic features similar to pingos on the Arctic Ocean floor where methane bubbles through sediments and forms hundreds of low hills. On land, a pingo is a place where permafrost bulges beneath a dried lake bed like this one in northern Canada.

Ocean “Pingos”

Geologist Charles Paull (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) investigates geologic features similar to pingos on the Arctic Ocean floor where methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—bubbles through sediments and forms hundreds of low hills. Read an MBARI feature story “Of Pingos and Pockmarks.”  Find out more about Charles Paull’s research.

This urchin (Echinocrepis rostrata) leaves tracks as it moves across the ocean floor.

Deep-Sea Urchin

This deep-sea urchin (Echinocrepis rostrata) is an important “bulldozer.” It turns over sediment and exposes prey as it moves across the ocean floor, leaving a trail of tracks behind. This photo was taken about 220 kilometers (137 miles) off the California coast and 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) below the surface.

Dr. Francisco Chavez on Ocean Acidification

Dr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute estimates that a million tons of CO2 enter the ocean hourly. His studies in Peru explore the phenomenon of ocean acidification, which occurs when waters have high concentrations of CO2.

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