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MBARI NEWS

November 17, 2008
NEWS RELEASE:
Deep-sea observatory goes live
Completed MARS observatory on the seafloor
The completed hub of the MARS observatory rests on the seafloor of Monterey Bay. The MARS Observatory will allow scientists to perform a variety of real-time experiments 900 meters below the ocean surface.

Off the coast of Central California, in the inky darkness of the deep sea, a bright orange metal pyramid about the size of two compact cars sits quietly on the seafloor. Nestled within the metal pyramid is the heart of the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS)—the first deep-sea cabled observatory offshore of the continental United States. Six years and $13.5 million dollars in the making, the MARS Observatory went "live" on Monday, November 10, 2008, returning the first scientific data from 900 meters (3,000 feet) below the ocean surface.

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Illustration of CO2 increase, ocean acifidification, and whale calls
This illustration shows how increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing the acidity of seawater, which in turn allows sounds (such as whale calls) to travel farther underwater.

September 29, 2008
Cranking up the volume—
Sounds travel farther underwater as world's oceans become more acidic

It is common knowledge that the world's oceans and atmosphere are warming as humans release more and more carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. However, fewer people realize that the chemistry of the oceans is also changing—seawater is becoming more acidic as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in the oceans. These changes in ocean temperature and chemistry will have an unexpected side effect—sounds will travel farther underwater. Read more.
NEWS BRIEFS

Plug for the FOCE experiment being carried to the MARS nodeMARS UPDATE
(Dec 12, 2008)
First major experiment installed on MARS ocean observatory.

MARS operations manager Steve Etchemendy pointing out toward MARS observatoryMBARI researchers
talk about the new MARS ocean observatory.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2009 Summer Internship Program

Summer intern Alejandra Ortiz at work in the lab.Application deadline: February 11, 2009. Details.

Image Classification and Identification Workshop

Coral.
March 29 – April 1st, 2009. Sponsored by CenSeam and MBARI.

FEATURED IMAGE
Skeleton shrimp
This strange-looking animal is a caprellid amphipod (also known as a skeleton shrimp) that lives on the mouthparts of deep-sea crabs. More.
At the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, our staff members are working extended hours Monday through every other Friday, generally between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. To reduce commute trips and conserve energy, we are closed every other Friday.