The Marine Biological Association is a registered charity, charity registration number 226063
The charitable aims of the Marine Biological Association (MBA) are:
‘to promote scientific research into all aspects of life in the sea, including the environment on which it depends, and to disseminate to the public the knowledge gained.’
The MBA achieves these aims through its membership, through the work of the JMBA, through high quality research and through its education and outreach programmes. The MBA actively looks for members to support the work of the Association worldwide. If you would like to join the MBA as a member please visit our membership page.
The MBA was founded in 1884 and in 1888 opened the Plymouth Laboratory at Citadel Hill. The MBA has a well respected Council who help guide the work of our researchers. View a list of MBA Council members.
The MBA is a professional body for marine biologists with over 1000 members world-wide. For more information on becoming a member please read our membership page.
The MBA has earned an international reputation for excellence and innovation in research, by the resident scientific staff and visiting research workers, including seven Nobel laureates. The laboratory in Plymouth has provided facilities since 1888 for in-house and visiting researchers. Some of the earliest research at Plymouth was to identify the marine life present in the area. Those surveys now provide valuable data against which to identify how the sea has changed in relation to impacts. The MBA now supports a wide range of research activities from cell and molecular to understanding ecosystem structure and functioning.
The Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) is funding a national programme of Strategic Research called Oceans 2025. The MBA will contribute via research groups in: Cell and Molecular Processes and Ecosystem and Environmental Change. For more information visit the research page.
Using the extensive body of information from over 100 years of research at Plymouth, the MBA is undertaking long term work on changes in fish and plankton, and leads the Marine Environmental Change Network. The MBA also led the MarClim programme, studying rocky shore indicators of climate change.
The Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA) publishes original research in marine sciences. JMBA2 ‘Marine Biodiversity’ publishes short communications on Web pages (indexed in JMBA).
The National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) comprises the MBA’s library and archive collections covering the marine life and environmental sciences, and provides a range of information services that support research in the marine sciences locally, nationally and internationally. The collection is one of the world’s largest of its kind, constituting a unique source of information in its subject area.
Visit the National Marine Biological Library website
The MBA hosts the Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) part of the UK Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN)
MarLIN was started in 1998 and disseminates knowledge for marine environmental management, protection and education including undertaking commissioned research and education.
The MBA works locally, nationally and internationally on a diverse and innovative programme of education, communication and public engagement. The programme has significantly developed over the last ten years with innovative projects such as the Shore Thing, Blue Sound and Sealife Survey. The Education Team work with the research groups and partners to deliver high quality and imaginative real science education.
Visit our Education and Outreach Pages
The MBA runs a Masters of Research (MRes) course in Marine Biology jointly with the University of Plymouth.
Courses, training and workshops are held in the Marine Life and Environmental Sciences Resource Centre.
Visit the Courses and training pages
The South West Marine Science Forum was conceived at a workshop at the MBA, Managing water quality on the SW European Marine Sites (EMS): the way forward.
The forum consists of researchers from the scientific community, and representatives from statutory authorities, conservation bodies and industry. The initial focus was primarily in relation to Habitats Regulations, though it is now clear that the outputs from the work have wider application in relation to the future management of these and other sites, for example in relation to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive during the forthcoming years.
Principal aims of the SW forum are: