Marine Research and Exploration (MARE) has explored the deep sea in developing one of the largest deep water dataset on the West Coast. Since 2003, almost 2,000 kilometer s of seafloor has been visually surveyed  and 2.5 million marine fish and invertebrates have been documented.

As a  leader in deep sea ocean expeditions MARE  provides a number of services including:

Capabilities  

MARE owns and operates a fleet of underwater robotic vehicles specifically designed to collect geo-referenced video, still imagery, sensor and physical samples  for use in scientific research and exploration. Our personnel have years of experience planning and data collection.   We design, build, deploy and repair underwater vehicles.   ​Our monitoring tools  can be used to collect detailed information on deep ecosystems and are equipped with an array of cameras and monitoring probes.  

Protected Area Monitoring 

MARE established the first comprehensive Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) protocol to assess the impacts of marine protected areas along the California coast. Using California’s proven model, MARE's  cost-effective deep sea monitoring solutions enable coastal managers to improve sustainable fishing and broaden ocean conservation across more coastlines around the world.

Deep Sea Habitats

MARE has discovered sensitive coral and sponge habitats off the coast of California, to help protect these critical deep-sea ecosystems.   Our unmanned robotic submarine, the Beagle ROV gathers  information to help identify remaining hotspots of deep sea corals and sponges. This effort informs management actions, assisting in the protection of these ancient ocean forests.

Biological Sampling

Our engineers integrate design and build sampling collection equipment for a variety of applications. The ROV Beagle, with its 5-function manipulator and specimen chamber, is an efficient and cost-effective platform. 

We are currently developing a water sampling tool for further oceanographic analysis such as e-DNA studies and in-situ water quality assessments.  

Data Analysis & Reporting

Our team of highly trained biologists and GIS experts analyze video and still image of fish and invertebrate species and associated habitats. In-house software development focuses on streamlining data analysis which reduces overall project costs and processing time.   Final data products support a variety of research applications including benthic seafloor characterization, MPA monitoring, fisheries management and human impacts such as pollution and climate change.

Equipment Recovery

MARE’s expert team can find and recover your lost equipment.     Using the Beagle ROV, MARE has successfully recovered 100% of the equipment we set out for.