Our Mission
Climate change and biodiversity loss pose grand, intertwined challenges to nature and society. In the sea, those changes are largely invisible. MarineGEO is a growing network of partner observatories around the world working to reveal how and why coastal marine life and habitats are changing, globally and locally, to inform evidence-based solutions.

PanAmEx reveals that higher ocean temperatures lead to greater predation pressure
Scientists from 36 sites across 110 degrees of latitude ran the same experiment to assess the intensity and impact of predators on local marine invertebrate communities.

A doubling of coral cover on Carrie Bow Cay, Belize from 2014-2019
This study is the first to leverage the long-term photographic data collected by MarineGEO at Carrie Bow Cay to show that coral cover has improved there since the program began in 2014.

Seagrasses: A global ocean life support system
MarineGEO is coordinating global seagrass research to gain a baseline understanding of seagrasses and the communities they support, both wild and human.

Tracking change in marine life on the Belize Barrier Reef
New analyses from over 5 years of monitoring at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, reveal insights into ecosystem function in coral reefs and surrounding habitats.

Global “BiteMap” Reveals How Marine Food Webs May Change With Climate
Where are small marine animals most vulnerable to getting eaten? The answer has big consequences for coastal ecosystems since predators can radically change underwater communities.
We are funding @JEmmettDuffy (@smithsonian), Gabrielle Canonico (@NOAA), & Steven Scyphers (@UofSouthAlabama) to explore & synthesize how diverse marine species & habitats in U.S. waters work together to support ecosystem function & resilience. Learn more: https://t.co/H73F1i0Jfk
— Lenfest Ocean Program (@LenfestOcean) February 27, 2023
MarineGEO team members @jslefche and Leah Harper are at a workshop in Tasmania with @reeflifesurvey this week involving >30 participants in >5 countries to explore the amazing dataset & work on projects ranging from climate change impacts to designing MPAs! pic.twitter.com/oyUnLcka3u
— Smithsonian MarineGEO (@SImarineGEO) January 18, 2023
At MarineGEO, we firmly believe we can do more together. We had a wonderful time hosting @croquereef. The visit included lots of research discussions as well as a tour of D.C.! pic.twitter.com/C0zInhT0Xp
— Smithsonian MarineGEO (@SImarineGEO) January 11, 2023
🚨Breaking news🚨 MarineGEO Central's very own Drs. Jon Lefcheck (@jslefche) and Emmett Duffy (@JEmmettDuffy) received the 2022 Secretary’s Research Prize during today's in-person ceremony. Check out their article here: https://t.co/Ykyn0hSduX. pic.twitter.com/EVqFEB6lq6
— Smithsonian MarineGEO (@SImarineGEO) December 14, 2022