Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

General information

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.