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Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, California 93940
Driving & Parking Directions
Regular Hours
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Daily
Closed Dec. 25
Summer (May 26–Sept. 1)
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Summer Weekends
(July 5–Sept. 1) Sat. & Sun.
9:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Holidays
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.



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Research


At the Monterey Bay Research Institute (MBARI) scientists and engineers collaborate on a wide range of cutting-edge marine research projects enabled by innovative technology. Some MBARI scientists study deep-sea animals, ocean chemistry, and seafloor geology. Others study ocean currents and their effects on microscopic marine life, fisheries, and global climate. The Institute’s engineers design undersea robots and high-tech instruments that give researchers new ways of looking at the ocean.

MBARI maintains science, engineering, and operations facilities in Moss Landing, California, in the heart of Monterey Bay. The bay is one of the most biologically diverse bodies of waters in the world, and the underlying submarine canyon—part of the complex geology of the continental plate margin—is one of the deepest underwater canyons along the continental United States. With a "laboratory" up to 4,000 meters deep only a few ship-hours from their base of operations, institute scientists conduct research relevant to much of Earth’s water-covered realm.

The "Mission to the Deep" exhibit allows visitors to sample some of this research, and to try out some of the
technological tools that MBARI’s researchers use.





The midwaters of the ocean, from 500 to 15,000 feet down, are the largest habitat on earth. They are inhabited by bizarre deep-sea creatures that live in total darkness, such as vampire squids, giant deep-sea jellies and spookfish.


Seamounts, undersea mountains that lie hundreds of fathoms below the ocean’s surface, are home to unusual and spectacular animals such as corals the size of small trees.


The deep sea is home to an astonishing variety of animals and habitats that we are just beginning to learn about, like “whalefalls,” communities that develop around a sunken whale carcass.




Other Research Projects at MBARI

Land/ocean biogeochemical observatory MBARI’s “Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory” (LOBO), has helped scientists understand environmental changes in Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s largest remaining saltwater marshes.

Monterey Bay Canyon MBARI geologists use remotely operated vehicles to collect sediment samples on the seafloor. This is helping them learn how a “river of sand” has played a role in carving the Monterey Submarine Canyon.

Seafloor By studying and photographing the seafloor over time, MBARI scientists have learned that deep-sea animals are affected by seasonal changes and long-term climate cycles just like animals in shallower water.

Seismometer An ultra-sensitive seismometer buried in the seafloor 20 miles offshore of Monterey Bay has helped geologists study local and distant earthquakes and understand more about the geology of the Central California coast.



PodcastsPodcast

Craig Dawe is the chief pilot for MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana. Here he describes what it’s like to pilot a midwater dive from an ROV.

3 min | Download
(right click on link to save)
Lonny Lundsten is a video lab research technician at MBARI. Here he talks about what it’s like to be in the control room on a mission to study seamounts.


4 min | Download
(right click on link to save)
Shannon Johnson works as a research technician in the MBARI molecular ecology lab. Here she talks about the discovery of bone-eating Osedax worms.


2 min | Download
(right click on link to save)


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Inspiring conservation of the oceans
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www.montereybayaquarium.org
886 Cannery Row | Monterey, California 93940
Regular Hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Daily, Closed Dec. 25