Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
MBARI Research
Marine Biology research at MBARI —
Microscopic life in the open ocean

MBARI principal investigators Alexandra Worden, Chris Scholin, Zbignew Kolber, John Ryan, and Francisco Chavez study the microscopic marine algae known as phytoplankton, which play important roles in marine food webs and even in regulating the Earth's climate. Under the right conditions, phytoplankton can reproduce rapidly, forming red tides and algal blooms, some of which can poison humans and marine life. Marine chemist Ken Johnson studies how iron and other nutrients in seawater can affect algal blooms, both near shore and in the open ocean. Kolber is developing instruments that can measure how efficiently marine algae are utililzing sunlight and nutrients for growth.

Worden's research focuses on some of the smallest marine algae, which are known as nanoplankton and picoplankton. Even smaller are the marine bacteria and archaea, which have been studied by Scholin and former MBARI scientist Ed DeLong. Many of the smaller marine algae and microbes cannot be cultured in the laboratory, but are being studied by analyzing their genetic material. Scholin has developed an amazing device called the Environmental Sample Processor that can be placed in the water to peform such analyses automatically.

Algal blooms and red tides
Iron and algal blooms
How marine algae interact with other marine organisms, ocean chemistry, and climate
Using DNA analysis to study algal blooms and marine microbes
Marine bacteria and archaea

 

Last updated: Sep. 08, 2008