Keywords: mbnms monterey bay research science containers shipping metal noaa mbari Thousands of shipping containers are lost at sea every year -- but what happens to those containers when they reach the ocean floor? Researchers at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) are investigating! They've deposited experimental units with four different materials -- metal covered in standard shipping container paint, metal covered in environmentally-friendly paint, sandstone, and granite -- and over time will examine how each is colonized by marine life. Photo Credit: NOAA/MBARI Thousands of shipping containers are lost at sea every year -- but what happens to those containers when they reach the ocean floor? Researchers at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) are investigating! They've deposited experimental units with four different materials -- metal covered in standard shipping container paint, metal covered in environmentally-friendly paint, sandstone, and granite -- and over time will examine how each is colonized by marine life. Photo Credit: NOAA/MBARI |