Ocean World Exploration Tech: MBARI’s Advanced Technology – Astrobiology

MBARI’s Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) enables scientists and resource managers to monitor the health of remote aquatic environments. Equipped with advanced biological sensors and a wireless data connection, this “lab in a can” transmits real-time data about the health of rivers, lakes, and marine habitats and preserves samples for further study.

MBARI’s Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) is a versatile tool that can be deployed on various platforms to study the health of marine and freshwater environments. Image: Lori Eanes © Monterey Bay Aquarium

With its ESP, MBARI is revolutionizing monitoring of the ocean and our nation’s waterways. The ESP autonomously conducts analyses without constant human oversight, making it an efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional sampling. This cutting-edge instrument helps scientists detect harmful organisms and toxins and assess water quality. The ESP can also collect environmental DNA (eDNA), the genetic material left behind by aquatic organisms. eDNA is a powerful tool for assessing and monitoring biodiversity.

“MBARI is developing new robotic technology to measure and monitor the health of aquatic environments. Our Environmental Sample Processor, or ESP, is a game-changer for how we monitor biodiversity and assess water quality,” said Jim Birch, director of the SURF Center at MBARI. “The ESP allows us to gather critical data from areas where it’s difficult or dangerous for humans, and thus enables the monitoring of more and varied environments. It’s a vital tool for MBARI scientists and our collaborators studying environmental health.”

The ESP represents more than two decades of engineering innovation from the MBARI team. Our researchers currently deploy two versions of the ESP. The second-generation (2G) ESP conducts stationary, autonomous sampling, real-time algal toxin detection, and eDNA collection and preservation. The third-generation (3G) ESP incorporates many of the same functions but is a highly portable system that can be carried by autonomous robots, including MBARI’s long-range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV), making it suitable for more complex oceanographic studies.

In 2024, MBARI partnered with a wide range of collaborators, from federal resource managers to local communities, to leverage 2G and 3G ESP technology to study and protect freshwater and ocean ecosystem health.

The ESP is a versatile and cost-effective tool to provide detailed, real-time information about aquatic ecosystems, transforming how we monitor the health of our ocean, lakes, and rivers. The application of ESP technology in diverse projects—from tracking harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes to aiding salmon conservation efforts in Northern California—demonstrates its vast potential to support ecological research, improve environmental response strategies, and advance biodiversity monitoring.

“MBARI engineering innovation has transformed how we study life around Monterey Bay. Our partnerships with NOAA, USGS, and others allow us to share MBARI technology with scientists, resource managers, decision-makers, and communities across the country and overseas,” said Birch. “Collaboration is critical to addressing the threats facing the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems. We’re continuing to find new ways to grow the ESP tech ecosystem and can’t wait to see what is on the horizon.”

Building capacity for eDNA tech

MBARI invited researchers from across the country to test eDNA sampling technology at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in an effort to create standardized performance benchmarks for the eDNA research community. Image: Marike Pinsonneault © 2024 MBARI

In June 2024, the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy published the National Aquatic eDNA Strategy, part of a larger effort to advance sustainable management of marine and freshwater resources. Members of the MBARI team lent their expertise to help advance and inform this strategy. This plan elevates eDNA as an important tool for mapping and monitoring biodiversity and calls for increased collaboration among public and private agencies to improve and advance eDNA research and operations.

Expanding eDNA technology for monitoring and protecting aquatic ecosystems is critical to this strategy. The strategy aims to standardize eDNA practices, improve data sharing, and set performance metrics for reliable, consistent agency use. Through collaborative research and national standards, this strategy supports U.S. conservation goals by offering a science-driven, cost-effective approach to managing and safeguarding aquatic resources.

In November, MBARI teamed up with our education and conservation partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, to host an experiment for our peers in the eDNA technology field to test and validate autonomous eDNA sampling technologies. The Aquarium’s Animal Care team keeps a detailed record of the fishes, invertebrates, and algae that live in their Kelp Forest exhibit, making it an ideal model to assess instruments’ ability to detect genetic markers from a diverse community of marine life.

The experiment gathered data from MBARI’s 2G ESP, 3G ESP, and FIDO instruments, Cawthron Institute’s TorpeDNA passive sampler being tested through the Synchro research collaboration hosted at MBARI, and instruments commercially available from Aquatic Labs, Dartmouth Oceans Technologies, Inc., McLane Research Laboratories, Inc., Ocean Diagnostics, and Smith-Root.

The nine devices processed water samples from the Kelp Forest exhibit while researchers manually collected and tested water samples for comparison. Findings from this experiment will help the eDNA research community create standardized performance benchmarks that ensure data collected across a range of technologies are consistent. This will improve the scientific community’s ability to share data from biodiversity assessments and enhance decision-making for aquatic environments.

The ESP is a versatile and cost-effective tool to provide detailed, real-time information about aquatic ecosystems, transforming how we monitor the health of our ocean, lakes, and rivers. The application of ESP technology in diverse projects—from tracking harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes to aiding salmon conservation efforts in Northern California—demonstrates its vast potential to support ecological research, improve environmental response strategies, and advance biodiversity monitoring.

“MBARI engineering innovation has transformed how we study life around Monterey Bay. Our partnerships with NOAA, USGS, and others allow us to share MBARI technology with scientists, resource managers, decision-makers, and communities across the country and overseas,” said Birch. “Collaboration is critical to addressing the threats facing the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems. We’re continuing to find new ways to grow the ESP tech ecosystem and can’t wait to see what is on the horizon.”

For more information on other technology topics go to https://www.mbari.org/news/mbaris-advanced-technology-transforms-the-monitoring-of-aquatic-ecosystems/

• Monitoring ocean-based climate solutions
• Tracking toxic algae in the Great Lakes
• Empowering communities for wildlife conservation
• Developing new nimble technology

Astrobiology, Oceanography,