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Information Resources and Knowledge Transfer
The Marine Biological Association has a huge array of information resources available in a number of formats, aimed at a variety of user groups from school children to academics.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA)
The JMBA is an international journal with a world-wide distribution publishing original research on all aspects of marine biology. It includes current international research developments and features much of the pioneering work taking place today on major issues concerning marine organisms and their environment.
Global Marine Environment
The Global Marine Environment magazine aims to promote current research in marine biology published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association through popular easy to read science articles. These are illustrated with attractive colour images. The articles are referenced to JMBA papers on the topic to lead students to further research. The printed glossy magazine is available as a major benefit of MBA membership or from the MBA website. Back issues are available as free downloadable pdf files from the MBA website.
See more on The Global Marine Environment
Library & Archive
The National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) is one of the largest marine libraries in the world specialising in marine life and environmental sciences and the premier source of marine biological information in the UK. The library was established in 1887 and one of its great strengths is its superb coverage of the older literature including serials, books, reports and other semi-published material from all parts of the world. The card and online author catalogues facilitate retrieval of marine scientific information that is not yet available online.
The Library has been the UK focal point for the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) since 1974. ASFIS is the cooperative international information system and network for the collection and dissemination of information covering the science, technology and management of marine and freshwater environments. Its principal information product is the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) bibliographic database.
The Archives Collection reflects the history not only of the MBA, but also the origins and early history of British marine science. It contains personal and scientific papers, letters, notebooks and other documents, illustrations, photographs, glass negatives and slides.
DASSH
The Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) provides a digital archive for marine biological survey data, including images and video. DASSH aims to safeguard data (past and future) and make that data available as a national information resource to support marine science and better stewardship of the marine environment.
DASSH is a Marine Environmental Data Information Network (MEDIN; pka MDIP) accredited marine Data Archive Centre (mDACs). DASSH works closely with other mDACs within the MEDIN framework and the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) to develop standards for the exchange and dissemination of metadata and data.
MarLIN
The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland (MarLIN) provides information for marine environmental management, protection and education. It is a centre of excellence in spatially based and time-series marine biological information and supports good stewardship in the marine environment.
Included within MarLIN are specialist programmes in Education, Recording and Biodiversity and Conservation Science.
MECN
The Marine Environmental Change Network (MECN) is a collaboration between organizations in England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland collecting long-term time series information for marine waters. It is coordinated by the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA) and is funded by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The goal of the network is to use long-term marine environmental data from around the British Isles and Ireland to separate natural fluctuations from global, regional and local anthropogenic impacts.
MarClim
The MarClim project was a four year multi-partner funded project created to investigate the effects of climatic warming on marine biodiversity. In particular the project aimed to use key intertidal species, whose abundances had been shown to fluctuate with changes in climatic conditions, as indicators of changes occurring in the intertidal and offshore. The project used historic time series data, from the 1950s onwards, and contemporary data to provide evidence of changes in the abundance, range and population structure of intertidal species and relate these changes to recent rapid climatic warming. In particular quantitative counts of barnacles, limpets and trochids were made as well as semi-quantitative surveys of up to 56 intertidal taxa. Historic and contemporary data informed experiments to understand the mechanisms behind these changes and models were created to predict future species ranges and abundances.
Identification Guides
Designed to support marine wildlife recording projects, three waterproof guides have been published by the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN), a part of the Marine Biological Association at Plymouth.
The identification Guide for Selected Seashore Species and Identification Guide for Selected Underwater Species contain species selected for their ease of recognition, their importance as species that play a key role in maintaining particular communities, as ones that are likely to be affected by global warming, or that are non-native. There are 45 species in the underwater guide and 42 in the seashore guide.
More recently, MarLIN has produced an Identification Guide for Selected Marine Non-native Species. The guide was produced as part of the Esmee Farbairn funded, Marine Aliens Project. And provides information about 10 easily recognisable non-native species
UKMPA Centre
The UKMPA Centre is a consortium led project hosted by the MBA and managed by MarLIN. The UK MPA Centre acts as a resource for information and news on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the UK (including the Crown Dependencies of the Channel Isles and Isle of Man). The Centre provides factual information about MPAs, their designations, habitats, species, and activities and draws together resources that will help to build capacity amongst UK MPAs practitioners and facilitate sharing information, good practice and learning. This virtual centre is only one year old but already has a number of useful functions. There is an interactive map showing MPA distributions, searchable reference and useful links libraries and a discussion forum for practioners, scientists and the public.