The world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Moss Landing, California, invites applications for prestigious Postdoctoral Research Fellowships and Marine Science Appointments for 2026/27, providing exceptional scholars with peerless opportunities to explore deep ocean ecosystems, biological oceanography, and cutting-edge marine technology.
About MBARI Monterey Bay
Founded in 1987 by David Packard, MBARI is a unique world-class oceanographic research institution where scientists and engineers collaborate side-by-side. Situated on the shores of Monterey Bay adjacent to the immense Monterey Submarine Canyon, MBARI operates dedicated global research vessels (including the R/V Western Flyer, R/V Rachel Carson, and the newly commissioned R/V David Packard), high-performance remotely operated vehicles (ROV Doc Ricketts and ROV Ventana), and advanced autonomous underwater vehicle fleets.
Primary Scientific Themes & Research Areas
- Deep-Sea Biology & Midwater Ecology: Investigating the biodiversity, physiological adaptations, bioluminescence, and food web connections of midwater gelatinous organisms, deep-sea cephalopods, and bathypelagic fishes.
- Benthic Ecology & Chemosynthetic Biomes: Ecological monitoring of submarine canyon channels, cold methane seeps, whale falls, and deep abyssal plain benthic communities.
- Autonomous Environmental Sensing & Ocean eDNA: High-resolution environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to monitor pelagic and deep-sea marine biodiversity in near real time.
- Ocean Biogeochemistry & Carbon Export Flux: Optical and chemical sensor integration on robotic platforms to quantify the biological carbon pump, ocean acidification, and expanding oxygen minimum zones (OMZs).
- Marine Bio-Acoustics & Computer Vision: Hydrophone array monitoring of marine mammals and pelagic fishes, and machine learning models for automated taxonomic classification from deep-sea HD/4K underwater video.
Remuneration & Fellowship Package
- Generous Fellowship Stipend: Competitive annual postdoctoral stipends ranging from $85,000 to $95,000 per annum, commensurate with postdoctoral experience.
- Comprehensive Benefits Package: Full medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage, 403(b) retirement contributions, life insurance, and substantial relocation assistance.
- Dedicated Research Fleet Access: Substantial guaranteed ship time aboard MBARI research vessels with dedicated ROV and autonomous vehicle operations.
- Discretionary Research & Travel Budget: Generous annual discretionary funding for computational resources, genomics, analytical instrumentation, and international scientific conferences.
Eligibility & Application Procedure
Applicants worldwide must hold or be nearing completion of a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography, Marine Biology, Deep-Sea Ecology, Aquatic Robotics, or Marine Biogeochemistry. Applications require a detailed curriculum vitae, a 3-page research proposal addressing challenging questions in ocean science, and contact details for three academic references.
To review fellowship guidelines and submit an application, visit: MBARI Careers Portal (www.mbari.org/about/careers).