The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is a place where scientists study the ocean and everything that lives in it. Think of the ocean like a huge swimming pool that covers most of the Earth. It's home to all sorts of animals and plants, like fish, whales, sharks, and coral reefs.
MBARI is like a big school for grown-up scientists who want to learn more about what's going on in the ocean. They use all sorts of tools and gadgets to study things like how deep the ocean is, what kind of animals are living in it, and how they behave. They even have robots that can go deep down into the ocean and take pictures and video of what they find!
All of this studying helps us understand how the ocean works and why it's so important to our planet. We can also find ways to protect the animals and plants that live in it and make sure we don't harm them.
So, to sum it up, MBARI is a place where smart people go to learn more about the ocean and its inhabitants so that we can take better care of it.