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What We Do

Nurse shark

What We Do

Discovering how coastal ecosystems work—to keep them working 

Divers deploying predation assays

 

Climate change and biodiversity loss pose existential challenges to the health of marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Yet our scattered knowledge of marine life hampers our ability to effectively address them.  

The Smithsonian is committed to solving this challenge. The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO) is a unique network of partners around the world dedicated to tracking the vital signs of coastal marine life, diagnosing the causes of change, and informing science-based solutions to build coastal resilience—all using standardized, coordinated methods. Led by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO coordinates the research of partner observatories and project collaborators that span the globe.   

Our research focuses on biodiversity because it is the heart of functioning ecosystems, but is missing or poorly coordinated in most marine observing. We focus on coastal systems nearshore because this is where biodiversity and people are concentrated and interact most.  

MarineGEO is also a community—the network is people. Our value proposition to partners is: The Smithsonian helps elevate your science and grow your professional network to take local science global and to accomplish outcomes none of us could reach alone. 

Learn more about MarineGEO by viewing our values, who we are, our governing documents, and current opportunities.

Diver working

50%

of coral reefs, mangrove forests, and a quarter of global seagrass meadows are gone.

Diver working

75%

of the world's population lives on or within 100 miles of a coastline.

Diver working

50%

of the oxygen we breath comes from the ocean.

Diver working

75%

of fisheries are at or beyond sustainable harvest levels.

Why Smithsonian?

Global leader in biodiversity science, with the world’s largest biological collections

Leading institution for research on diverse tropical ecosystems

Long-term leadership in research about ‘ecosystems on the edge’

An overarching focus on uniting assets in the service of conservation

Unparalleled outreach, public education, and convening power

Our Impact

The MarineGEO initiative is lifting the veil on the living ocean’s hidden diversity:

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We integrate

diverse disciplines and emerging technologies to create the first integrated approach to understanding coastal ecosystems.

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We marry 

a web of long-term observations and experiments to diagnose the causes and consequences of change in marine life, ecosystems, and resources.

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We expand 

the network, from the poles to the tropics, focusing on the Americas, through strategic partnerships.

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We help 

raise the next generation of marine scientists and ocean stewards through fellowships, educational partnerships, and engaging people at all levels.

Coral reef

OUR IMPACT

Impact Story Title

New technologies and our most powerful resource—people—help answer critical questions to protect marine life and ecosystems.

Scuba diving at coral reef

OUR IMPACT

Impact Story Title

New technologies and our most powerful resource—people—help answer critical questions to protect marine life and ecosystems.

Coral reef surface water

OUR IMPACT

Impact Story Title

New technologies and our most powerful resource—people—help answer critical questions to protect marine life and ecosystems.

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  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Our Values
    • Who We Are
    • Guiding Documents
    • Opportunities
  • Our Network
    • Network Observatories
    • Collaborating Organizations
    • Join Us
  • Our Research
    • About Our Research
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    • Our Data
    • Publications
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Link to Smithsonian Institution homepage(link is external)
The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO), directed by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network (TMON), is a network of partners researching biodiversity as the heart of healthy, productive, coastal ecosystems, where marine life and people are concentrated and interact most. MarineGEO marshals the Smithsonian’s leadership in discovery and convening power to advance knowledge useful to decision-makers in supporting innovative management and protection of marine life.