Celebrating a major milestone for ocean science and conservation

MBARI and the Monterey Bay Aquarium share a passion for the ocean. Together, our two institutions are engaging audiences around the world with its wonders. Behind the scenes, we also provide the information and tools that individuals, communities, and policymakers need to manage and protect marine life and habitats.

MBARI has deep ties to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Shortly after he funded the creation of the Aquarium, the late Silicon Valley innovator and ocean philanthropist David Packard recognized the need for a separate, independent research institution focused on ocean exploration. He founded MBARI in 1987 to establish a new type of oceanographic institution, one where scientists and engineers worked side-by-side. MBARI is the Aquarium’s research and technology partner, and the Aquarium is MBARI’s education and conservation partner. As the Aquarium marked its 40th anniversary in 2024, MBARI celebrated our rich history of collaboration.

The Into the Deep / En lo Profundo exhibition represents the most extensive collaboration between the two organizations. This groundbreaking exhibition opened in April 2022. It brings the deep sea to land, showcasing rarely seen deep-sea animals. The exhibition also highlights MBARI staff, research, and technology.

MBARI technology and our team’s expertise are instrumental in the continued success of Into the Deep.

MBARI research vessels and marine operations crew support the collection of animals from the depths of Monterey Bay. In 2024, MBARI welcomed the Aquarium’s animal care team aboard the research vessel Rachel Carson for 17 dedicated collecting trips with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana. MBARI will continue to host the Aquarium for collecting trips onboard the Rachel Carson in 2025, as well as an extended expedition aboard our forthcoming flagship research vessel, the David Packard.

MBARI engineers made custom modifications to our ROVs to make it easier for the Aquarium to bring animals safely to shore. Thanks to MBARI’s support, more than a dozen species have been on public display in the exhibition for the first time anywhere in the world. Into the Deep has introduced millions of visitors to species discovered by MBARI researchers, like the bloody-belly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) and bumpy jelly (Stellamedusa ventana). Working collaboratively with MBARI’s Video Lab, hundreds of deep-sea video clips from our Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS) have been curated for use in Aquarium exhibits and programs, offering a glimpse of these animals in their natural habitats.

MBARI scientists—including Jim Barry, Steve Haddock, and Bruce Robison—shared their first-hand experience working with deep-sea animals to help Aquarium biologists refine their husbandry techniques. Those researchers, along with Colleen Durkin and Kakani Katija, often host Aquarium biologists on their cruises to opportunistically support animal collections.

MBARI Senior Education and Research Specialist George Matsumoto also joined Aquarium biologists for fieldwork in Hawaii. Blackwater diving—nighttime open-water dives—allowed the team to observe deep-sea animals during their daily migration to the surface to feed. The team collected some of the unique oceanic jellies they encountered, bringing species like slipper lobster larvae and mauve stingers (Pelagia flaveola) to display at the Aquarium (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources SAP No. 2024-32). This fieldwork revealed a previously unknown species of crown jelly in the genus Nausithoe. The Aquarium’s animal care team is now culturing this species for exhibit, and researchers are preparing the scientific description of this new species.

MBARI scientists are also leveraging the Aquarium’s animal husbandry advancements for their research. Thanks in part to the Aquarium’s success in culturing ctenophores, MBARI’s Biodiversity and Biooptics Team has been able to answer fundamental questions about animal evolution, physiology, and behavior.

MBARI science and technology also guide conservation initiatives organized by the Aquarium. Our work helps the Aquarium champion the change needed to sustain a healthy ocean for communities worldwide.

A new collaboration between Aquarium Director of Science April Ridlon and MBARI Senior Scientist Francisco Chavez will leverage MBARI’s extensive experience with environmental DNA (eDNA) to measure the effects of southern sea otter predation on estuarine communities. This project will develop, test, and verify collection and analysis methods for sampling eDNA in estuaries to document ecosystem change in response to future reintroduction efforts for sea otters in California.

Last November, MBARI researchers used the Aquarium’s iconic Kelp Forest exhibit to validate a variety of eDNA sampling instruments, including instruments developed by MBARI engineers. This experiment will help establish an integrated approach to technology development for eDNA sampling in support of implementing the National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy. This work will continue in 2025.

The expertise of the MBARI team also underpins the Aquarium’s efforts to mobilize climate action.

There is growing interest in engineered climate interventions, but several fundamental questions remain about ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (oCDR). MBARI Senior Scientist Jim Barry is integral to efforts at MBARI and the Aquarium to assess the impacts, safety, and effectiveness of ocean climate interventions like oCDR.

Expanding renewable energy is critical to addressing the climate crisis. MBARI science and technology are helping inform efforts to develop offshore wind energy in California and beyond. Research by Senior Scientist Charlie Paull and the Continental Margins Process Team has shed light on the stability of the seafloor in an area off the Central California coast slated for the development of offshore wind farms. MBARI biological oceanographer John Ryan and the Ocean Soundscape Team are partnering with the Aquarium and NOAA to deploy hydrophones near the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area. They are working to understand which marine mammal species live there and might be affected by the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines.

The use of autonomous vehicles to conduct biological assessments of offshore wind energy sites is gaining attention both locally and at other sites in the U.S. and Europe. MBARI’s innovative technology—including the versatile long-range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV) that can be equipped with hydrophones, imaging systems, and eDNA samplers to study ocean health—is helping define how routine monitoring of these sites can be conducted without the use of crewed vessels.

MBARI and the Aquarium frequently showcase our institutional collaborations with digital audiences worldwide.

The MBARI SciComm Team meets monthly with the Aquarium’s content team to develop strategic social media collaborations that amplify MBARI’s work with Aquarium audiences. Our co-branded posts, such as recent features on Instagram and TikTok, are expanding the reach of MBARI research and technology while engaging diverse audiences in ocean exploration and conservation.

MBARI imagery is regularly featured in Aquarium exhibitions, visitor programs, and web content, which reach millions of in-person and virtual visitors each year. Last year, MBARI’s SciComm Team contributed deep-sea imagery to a toolkit developed by the Aquarium for members of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership across the country to celebrate the designation of the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.

The Aquarium is also a partner in FathomVerse, a mobile game developed by MBARI Principal Engineer Kakani Katija as part of the multi-institution FathomNet Program. FathomVerse aims to engage new audiences in ocean exploration and discovery. Aquarium volunteers were beta testers for the game and are continuing to advise on opportunities to grow FathomVerse, including a new FathomVerse ID app.

Senior Education and Research Specialist George Matsumoto works closely with the Aquarium’s education team to develop programs and workshops, all designed to engage students and teachers of diverse backgrounds with ocean science and engineering. Portraits of MBARI staff in the Into the Deep exhibition showcase the diversity of careers in marine science and engineering. We hope seeing MBARI staff in action inspires the next generation of ocean explorers. For the past two summers, MBARI and the Aquarium have co-sponsored a summer intern focused on advancing husbandry techniques for deep-sea animals. This joint internship has supported culturing efforts for the siphonophore Nanomia septata and short-lobed comb jelly (Bolinopsis microptera) while introducing college students to the variety of career opportunities in marine sciences.

The ocean is facing a rising tide of threats. It is more urgent than ever that we grow the community of scientists and engineers studying the ocean and working to find innovative solutions for conserving marine life, habitats, and resources. Initiatives at MBARI and the Aquarium are engaging students from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for understanding and protecting the ocean. These efforts will ensure the marine science and conservation community is diverse, inclusive, equitable, and poised to respond to the challenges facing our ocean, now and in the future.