As the planet grapples with accelerating climate change, our understanding of the cryosphere—the frozen components of the Earth system—has never been more critical. This year marks the inauguration of the United Nations Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, a global initiative dedicated to probing the profound transformations in glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, and snow cover, and unraveling their cascading consequences on global systems. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), renowned for its innovation in marine technology, emerges as a pioneering force in this monumental scientific endeavor, leveraging its state-of-the-art underwater vehicles and sensing instruments to delve deep into the uncharted polar realms.
MBARI’s contributions are particularly indispensable in regions where inaccessibility due to harsh ice conditions has historically hindered scientific study. In the Arctic, where melting sea ice continuously reshapes underwater terrains, MBARI’s autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have enabled unprecedented high-resolution mapping of the seafloor along the Canadian Arctic’s fringes. These robotic explorers uncover intricate geomorphic features sculpted by the dynamic interplay of thawing submerged permafrost and cyclical freezing–melting processes, providing new insights into how climate-induced changes alter underwater landscapes in ways previously impossible to quantify.
The significance of this Arctic research extends beyond academic curiosity. The melting of ancient permafrost beneath the ocean floor influences sediment stability, geochemical fluxes, and potentially the release of trapped greenhouse gases, all of which have direct implications for global climate feedback loops. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from seafloor surveys informs geopolitical and infrastructural decisions, such as submarine cable routing, fisheries management, and the planning of safe shipping lanes in a rapidly shifting polar environment. This synergy of technological capability and environmental urgency positions MBARI researchers as vanguards in shaping responsible stewardship of polar waters.
Southward, MBARI plays a vital role within the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project (SOCCOM), a vast collaborative enterprise aiming to decode the ocean’s role in modulating Earth’s climate. Among the most challenging oceanographic frontiers, the Southern Ocean orchestrates the exchange of carbon dioxide between atmosphere and ocean, regulates heat distribution, and sustains unique ecosystems adapted to frigid waters. MBARI’s sophisticated Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats, equipped with cutting-edge sensors designed by the institute, continuously monitor crucial parameters including oxygen concentration, pH, nitrate levels, and chlorophyll fluorescence, essentially providing a robotic sentinel network that offers real-time, high-resolution slicing of the ocean’s chemical dynamics.
These floats, exceeding one hundred in number across the Southern Ocean, generate an unprecedented volume of open-access data, furnishing the global scientific community with invaluable inputs for climate models, ecosystem assessments, and policy frameworks. MBARI has also spearheaded the educational outreach associated with SOCCOM, bridging the gap between complex oceanographic data and public understanding by integrating live sensor feeds into classroom environments. This fusion of advanced technology and knowledge dissemination exemplifies modern science’s multidimensional approach toward environmental challenges.
Beyond monitoring, MBARI researchers are delving into previously elusive processes governing Antarctic coastal ecosystems, such as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). This phenomenon, involving the flow of freshwater or brackish groundwater from land through sediments into the ocean, acts as a critical vector for delivering nutrients, trace metals, and organic matter, modulating marine biogeochemical cycles and influencing biological productivity. The Antarctic Peninsula, experiencing rapid warming trends, has become a focal point for quantifying SGD rates through the deployment of novel sensors and sampling methodologies aimed at distinguishing fresh water signatures amidst saline marine backgrounds.
Preliminary findings suggest that SGD fluxes in Antarctica might surpass those observed in temperate zones at comparable depths, highlighting unrecognized contributions to regional ocean chemistry and potentially altering the base of polar food webs. Understanding these emissions is crucial, as they feed into larger-scale circulation patterns and carbon cycling processes that collectively shape climate feedbacks. MBARI’s work in this domain enhances predictive capacities to forecast the environmental outcomes of ongoing climatic shifts in polar regions.
Concurrently, MBARI is advancing the frontier of biodiversity assessment in the Southern Ocean through innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies. eDNA sampling circumvents traditional organism collection difficulties by capturing genetic fragments shed by marine life into their surroundings, enabling detection of even elusive or cryptic species without direct observation. MBARI’s Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) and the Filtering Instrument for DNA Observations (FIDO) exemplify this paradigm, functioning as in situ laboratories that autonomously collect, process, and preserve eDNA samples in remote and extreme environments.
Recently, aboard Australia’s research icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina, these instruments participated in an expedition near East Antarctica’s Denman Glacier region to evaluate the feasibility of large-scale eDNA biodiversity monitoring in sub-zero ocean conditions. The endeavor marks a significant step toward integrating molecular techniques into routine polar ecosystem surveys, promising to revolutionize our understanding of species distributions, community dynamics, and ecological responses to environmental stressors in oceanic realms where human presence is limited.
MBARI’s integrative approach, combining robotic exploration, biogeochemical monitoring, and molecular biology, exemplifies the future of cryospheric science. Its multifaceted research underscores the complexity of polar environments, where abiotic and biotic components intricately interweave under the influence of climate change. The institute’s continued collaboration with international partners—including governmental geological surveys, defense research laboratories, and other polar research entities—reflects a shared commitment to addressing the urgent knowledge gaps and fostering stewardship of these fragile ecosystems.
The United Nations Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences signals a collective awakening to the imperative of understanding frozen regions as not mere isolated zones but as dynamic, interconnected systems vital to planetary equilibrium. MBARI’s expertise and technological leadership position it at the forefront of this global quest, facilitating data-driven decisions and inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators tasked with safeguarding the poles. In a time when rising temperatures imperil ice-covered habitats and the organisms they shelter, advancing comprehensive cryospheric science becomes both a moral and scientific imperative.
In essence, MBARI’s work transcends traditional oceanography by pioneering autonomous methodologies capable of penetrating the most forbidding polar waters. The institute’s sophisticated AUVs, BGC-Argo floats, and in situ molecular analyzers enable continuous, high-resolution observations that unravel the complexities of seafloor morphology, carbon cycling, groundwater flux, and biodiversity patterns in an age of rapid environmental transformation. These efforts collectively illuminate the subtle but profound processes reshaping Earth’s cryosphere and provide a critical knowledge base for international efforts aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts.
As the Decade of Action unfolds, the growing repository of MBARI-generated datasets and insights will continue to empower policymakers, researchers, and conservationists worldwide to formulate sound strategies grounded in empirical evidence. The institute’s ongoing Arctic and Antarctic expeditions underscore the enduring value of combining technological innovation with scientific curiosity, fostering breakthroughs that resonate far beyond polar latitudes. Ultimately, MBARI exemplifies a model of how targeted research and inventive engineering can converge to deepen our understanding of complex natural systems and help steward a rapidly changing planet for future generations.
Subject of Research: Cryospheric Sciences, Arctic and Antarctic Oceanography, Seafloor Geomorphology, Marine Biogeochemistry, Environmental DNA Monitoring
Article Title: MBARI’s Cutting-Edge Technologies Illuminate the Rapidly Changing Polar Seafloor and Ecosystems Amidst the UN Decade of Cryospheric Science
News Publication Date: 2024
Web References:
- MBARI News on Arctic Seafloor Research: https://www.mbari.org/news/new-mbari-research-reveals-the-dynamic-processes-that-sculpt-the-arctic-seafloor/
- Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM): https://soccom.org/
- Antarctic Submarine Groundwater Discharge Research: https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/2024/02/aaron-micallef-global-warming-expedition
- eDNA Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition: https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2025/testing-new-ways-to-monitor-biodiversity-in-seawater-on-rsv-nuyina/
Image Credits: Dave Caress © 2022 MBARI
Keywords: Cryosphere, Arctic ecosystems, Antarctic climate, Climate change, Ocean chemistry, Marine geology, Biodiversity, Sea floor, Oceans
