Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS)

The Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS) is MBARI's software interface and database for describing, cataloging, retrieving, and viewing the visual, descriptive, and quantitative data linked to MBARI’s deep-sea video archives. MBARI records hundreds of high-resolution ROV dives each year, and since 1988 has archived and annotated more than 23,000 hours of video as a centralized institutional resource. The video library encompasses detailed footage of the Monterey Bay submarine canyon and other regions (e.g., the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Hawaii, and the Gulf of California), with VARS providing tools to access and reference this collection.

AI named Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS) from January 2026 to July 2026.