Flad Celebrates Completion of New MBARI Engineering Lab

Flad and McCarthy Building Companies are proud to announce the completion of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) Instrumentation Integration and Testing Facility. The 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art engineering lab is designed to support MBARI's evolving marine science and engineering programs.

Located in Moss Landing, California, the new facility expands MBARI's capacity for developing cutting-edge technology to support biological, chemical, and physical science research in ocean environments from the surface to the deep seafloor. The building houses both research and engineering laboratories with a high bay equipped with an overhead crane for loading, off-loading, and servicing research instruments for deployment.

Activities in the building include flexible spaces for scientific research, instrument development and preparation, and research platform engineering and assembly; all areas that serve the core function of the organization. Additionally, office support spaces offer waterfront views.

Built on a site with high water tables and sandy soils, the building was planned to accommodate sea level rise from the ocean side and FEMA flood zones on the landward side.

The new facility is located on the MBARI campus, down the street from the Expedition Staging Building, which opened in 2022 and was also designed by Flad.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Instrumentation Integration and Testing Facility

May 13, 2025