MBARI

MBARI An oceanographic research institute focused on advancing marine science and engineering to understand our changing ocean.
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Thanks to the foresight of founder David Packard, MBARI receives long-term funding that enables the institute to take on high-risk projects, as well as long-term studies that traditional granting agencies may be reluctant to fund. As a result MBARI is uniquely positioned to contribute to socially relevant issues, such as ocean ecosystem management, climate change, and carbon dioxide acidification

of the oceans. MBARI is located in Moss Landing, California, at the head of Monterey Canyon, the deepest submarine canyon adjacent to the continental United States. The institute owns and operates three research vessels, two remotely operated vehicles, and a growing fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles, all of which are regularly used for experiments at sea and for the collection of samples and data. MBARI’s shore-based facilities include laboratories, offices, machine shops, and a large test tank for working on various experiments and technologies.

Earlier this month, a team of Monterey Bay Aquarium biologists completed an expedition to Guide Seamount aboard MBARI’s ...
05/29/2026

Earlier this month, a team of Monterey Bay Aquarium biologists completed an expedition to Guide Seamount aboard MBARI’s flagship research vessel David Packard to explore the seamount’s rocky ridges.

Located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) offshore of Davenport, California, Guide Seamount is an underwater mountain made up of four parallel volcanic ridges. Previous MBARI surveys documented the community of marine life that lives on the seamount and in the waters above its summit. After studying this seamount, the team conducted midwater surveys in Monterey Bay and Ascension Canyon.

With the support of MBARI’s marine operations team, including R/V David Packard crew and ROV Doc Ricketts pilots, the expedition team successfully collected several animals for exhibit at the Aquarium, some species on public display for the first time anywhere in the world.

MBARI and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have a rich history of collaboration. Together, we’re working to raise awareness about life in the deep sea.

Learn more: https://www.mbari.org/news/mbari-and-monterey-bay-aquarium-complete-expedition-to-guide-seamount/

Let's hear it for the worms! 🙌🏽⁠⁠Named for their acorn-shaped front end, enteropneusts are actually more closely related...
05/29/2026

Let's hear it for the worms! 🙌🏽⁠
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Named for their acorn-shaped front end, enteropneusts are actually more closely related to humans than to worms. They have a rudimentary nerve cord that is similar to ours, and they breathe oxygen using structures similar to a fish's gills.⁠
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Acorn worms are also connected to humans through the carbon cycle. They play a significant role in the redistribution of sediment and nutrients in deep-sea communities. ⁠
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Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere mixes into the ocean at the surface. Tiny plant-like plankton transform carbon dioxide into organic material and are then eaten by larger animals. As these animals eat, p**p, and die, they create a flurry of organic material known as marine snow. The sinking snow moves nutrients and carbon all the way down to the deep seafloor, where bottom-dwelling animals, like acorn worms, enjoy a bountiful feast.

05/20/2026

In our latest episode of deep-sea animals that dance better than you do, we give you a ribbon worm with smooth moves 💃🏻⁠
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Nemerteans are neither worms nor fish, although they look a bit like both. They are unique enough to belong in their own phylum. Most nemerteans burrow in sediments or between crevices in rocks, shells, and other seafloor habitats, but some, like this one, live in the open ocean, never touching the seafloor. Nemerteans range in length from a few millimeters to 30 meters stretched (nearly 100 feet) in length (most species commonly measure about 20 centimeters, just about eight inches, or less).⁠
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This ribbon worm (Phallonemertes sp.) was observed at 1,630 meters (5,348 feet).

05/19/2026

Adding a little drama to the deep seafloor ❤️💫⁠
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This brightly-colored anemone, in the order Actiniaria, was captured on camera at 586 meters (1,922 feet). Along the muddy seafloor, these amazingly adaptable animals often serve as shelter for shrimp, amphipods, and even some fish species. ⁠
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The flat ocean floor—known as the abyssal plain—is one of this planet’s largest and least known habitats. These muddy plains support a dazzling diversity of life, including sponges, anemones, crabs, and sea stars (all of which appear in this video). This captivating cast of characters depends on the organic matter that falls from the ocean’s surface above or drifts by in the currents. Far from the isolated, stable ecosystems most people imagine when they think of the deep seafloor, the landscape of this vast ecosystem is diverse and dynamic.

05/19/2026

Why are so many deep-sea animals red?⁠ ❤️⁠
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Red is the first wavelength of color to be lost as light decreases with depth, so red things essentially disappear in the deep pelagic zone. Animals that are red, like this Periphyllopsis jelly, appear black and remain camouflaged from their predators and prey. ⁠
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The only light in the midnight zone is the bioluminescence, or “living light,” produced by the animals that live there. Most bioluminescence is usually blue or green. Red skin absorbs these wavelengths of light, keeping this crimson jelly and its ruby-colored relatives hidden from any lurking predators searching for their next meal.

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Moss Landing, CA
95039

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