June is National Ocean Month and June 8 marks World Ocean Day, a celebration of the life and livelihood that the ocean sustains. The ocean provides critical life support for humans—our mild climate, much of the air we breathe, and food—but the health of the ocean is taking a hit. We urgently need information to effectively steward the ocean for the health of the planet and humankind.

The ocean is vast—how can we possibly monitor its health on such a scale?

MBARI’s mission is to advance marine science and technology to understand a changing ocean. We’re building groundbreaking tools to explore the ocean, including robots that can go to places scientists can’t. By combining two novel autonomous platforms developed by MBARI—nimble long-range autonomous underwater vehicles and the “laboratory-in-a-can” Environmental Sample Processor—researchers can detect the DNA fingerprints of marine life to understand marine biodiversity. By deploying robotic floats across the globe, we can monitor ocean productivity on a massive scale and, critically, look for clues of how Earth’s changing climate may be affecting marine ecosystems. These tools will provide critical baseline data that resource managers and policy makers need to make informed decisions about the ocean’s future.

All of us play a critical role in maintaining a healthy ocean too. By working together, we can #RevitalizeTheOcean. Our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MBARI’s education and conservation partner, have resources to help individuals and communities protect the ocean and everything it sustains.

For the love of the deep,

During a recent expedition aboard our research vessel Western Flyer, MBARI’s science team encountered a beautifully bronze deep-sea dragon—the highfin dragonfish, Bathophilus flemingi. These dragonfish can be up to 16.5 centimeters (6.5 inches) long. Scientists suspect that the wing-like filaments on its fins may sense vibrations in the water, alerting the fish when predators or prey are approaching. These dragons don’t have scales—they have smooth, dark skin. Research by MBARI and our collaborators has revealed the pigments in the skin of some deep-sea dragonfishes are some of the blackest blacks found in nature, all the better to camouflage in the ocean’s midnight zone. Dive in.

In a major step forward for monitoring the biodiversity of marine systems, a new study published in Environmental DNA highlights how autonomous underwater robots carrying MBARI technology can revolutionize efforts to monitor ocean health by tracking the DNA “fingerprints” of marine life. Our team combined two MBARI innovations to survey eDNA, the drifting bits of genetic material left behind by marine life. Autonomous technology allows MBARI researchers to maintain a persistent presence in the ocean and collect data that informs effective management. Expanding the scale of eDNA sampling over time and space will give us new insight into biodiversity changes in sensitive areas and track rare, endangered, and invasive species—all critical to understanding and maintaining a healthy ocean. Read more.

We partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium on a new episode of SciShow! In the video, Hank Green walks viewers through the MBARI Bioinspiration Lab’s work on the swimming mechanics of the gossamer worm—an exciting intersection of engineering and biology. If you had to spend your entire life swimming through water, never touching the ground, you’d probably get pretty good at swimming. This is what life is like for the gossamer worm, and why its abilities could be inspiring new marine robots. Bioengineers are studying the unique paddling of these worms to help robots swim better. Be sure to check it out on SciShow's YouTube channel.