Neri Campbell Single-celled algae are essential for life on our planet, but they aren’t often associated with pioneering breakthroughs in neuroscience. However, this year’s Nobel Prize for medicine, awarded to Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel and Karl Deisseroth for research into ‘light-gated ion channels and optogenetics’ came directly from work examining the swimming of tiny green algae. Peter … Read more
A researcher from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) has been awarded a prestigious grant to support her research into the mysterious deep-diving behaviour of whale sharks. Postdoctoral Research Scientist Dr Freya Womersley has been named a recipient of the 2026 Rolex Explorers Club Grant. Her project, Into the Deep: Unlocking the Hidden Depths of Whale … Read more
MBA scientists Dr Glen Wheeler and Professor Colin Brownlee have contributed to a special issue of Botanica Marina on the ‘Physiology of marine photoautotrophs’ that celebrates the life and work of Prof John Raven FRS. John was a leader in the field of evolution and physiology of plants and algae and had close links to … Read more
MBA Postgraduate Member Molly Blyth shares an honest insight into life as a marine biology PhD researcher, from conducting coral reef fieldwork in Indonesia and presenting at international conferences to navigating data analysis, deadlines and the day-to-day realities of postgraduate research. If you were asked to picture a Marine Biology PhD researcher, you would probably … Read more
University of Plymouth graduate Fleur Denis has been awarded the Marine Biological Association (MBA) Prize for Outstanding Performance, recognising her conservation achievements during her BSc (Hons) Marine Biology degree. The MBA Prize is awarded annually to recognise outstanding contributions to the field of marine biology and recognises the significant impact that individuals can have in … Read more
Photos courtesy of Sea for Yourself/David Cotterrell.
Young Marine Biologist (YMB) Member Ellie Poulton recently attended the Field Studies Council’s Marine Science Camp at Slapton Ley, Devon, where she expanded her knowledge of marine life and ocean science. The Field Studies Council (FSC) is a leading environmental education charity that provides field-based learning experiences across the UK, helping young people develop skills … Read more
New findings from the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) highlight how 25 years of annual monitoring, backed by the long-running MarClim project, are providing unprecedented insight into the impacts of climate change on the UK’s coastal and intertidal habitats. Long-term observations of rocky shore species are revealing clear, biological responses to a warming marine … Read more
An international team of scientists has taken a major step toward understanding one of Earth’s most important yet underexplored groups of organisms: diatoms. Scientists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA), including Senior Research Fellows Dr Katherine Helliwell and Dr Glen Wheeler, as well as researchers Yousef Touhami and Dr Trupti Gaikwad have joined more than … Read more
MBA Fellow and lifelong MBA Member John Spencer representing Barnardos at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is saddened to learn of the passing of MBA Fellow and long-standing Member John Spencer, LRIC, BSc, PGCE, AMIQA, Mem. MBA, PP2, PHF, whose distinguished career in marine and environmental science spanned more than … Read more
The Marine Biological Association
The Laboratory,
Citadel Hill Plymouth,
Devon
PL1 2PB, UK
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom is a registered charity in England and Wales (1155893), and is a company limited by Royal Charter (RC000865). The Marine Biological Association conducts, promotes and supports scientific research into all aspects of life in the sea.