Marine Technology research at MBARI
Engineers work with scientists at MBARI to plan, design, build, test, and deploy high-tech equipment and instruments with the goal of answering key scientific questions about the ocean.
Some specific areas of research include:
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Instruments for environmental monitoring and chemical analysis MBARI engineers have developed a variety of amazing instruments that can perform chemical analysis and even DNA analysis in the open ocean and the deep sea: |
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Ocean observatories and monitoring networks Because the ocean is a three-dimensional environment that is constantly changing over time, instruments must be deployed over wide areas or on moving platforms. MBARI researchers have designed and worked on several ocean-monitoring networks, which are sometimes known as "ocean observatories." |
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Underwater vehicles MBARI researchers have designed and made extensive use of robot submarines. These include remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), which are controlled through a tether to the sea surface, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which are programmed at the surface and navigate through the water on their own. MBARI researchers have pioneered the use of these high-tech vehicles for many ground-breaking scientific research projects and experiments. |
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Computer software and data processing systems An often overlooked, but nonetheless vital component of most high-tech ocean monitoring systems is software and hardware that can collect, organize, and archive large quantities of data. MBARI engineers have designed and constructed several systems that not only simplify the process of collecting data, but also make it easier for researchers to share and analyze this data. |
