Research Aquarium
The facilities within the research aquarium are capable of housing anything from small invertebrates, such as crabs and anemones, to larger fish including sharks and rays, and are regularly home to native cuttlefish often reared on-site from eggs.
The Marine Biological Association’s Research Aquarium is a shared experimental facility open to internal and external users, including those from universities, research institutions and industry, as well as MBA academic and technical users. We welcome enquiries from scientists at all career stages, including postgraduate and early-career researchers, seeking specialist seawater facilities, controlled experimental environments and technical expertise.
The Research Aquarium covers nearly 500m², with tanks from one to 4,000 litres and housing specialist mesocosm and flume facilities. Our specialist aquarium team supports research across marine biology, coastal ecology, microbiology and other disciplines.
One of the MBA Research Aquarium’s greatest strengths is its direct access to natural seawater from Plymouth Sound. Unlike artificial seawater, natural seawater retains the chemical and biological complexity of the marine environment, providing ecologically relevant conditions for investigating marine organisms, ecosystems and their responses to environmental change. Direct abstraction also offers significant economic and environmental advantages over producing artificial seawater or transporting seawater by road.
Seawater is supplied through a permanent pipeline to the Aquarium’s two reservoir systems, with a combined storage capacity of 477,000 litres (332,000 and 145,000 litres). These reservoirs supply seawater to experimental tanks throughout the facility, supporting a wide range of marine research.
Smart experimental aquarium facility
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Smart Experimental Aquarium Facility
Control Temperature Rooms
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Control Temperature Rooms
flume facility
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Flume Facility
destination for marine climate studies
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Destination for Marine Climate Studies
accessing the aquarium
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Accessing the Aquarium
History of our Aquarium
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History of our Aquarium
Research Aquarium Team
Joe Feasey-Kemp BSc
Aquarium and Research Facilities Technician
Joe Feasey-Kemp BSc
Aquarium and Research Facilities Technician
joefea@mba.ac.uk
I keep wet things wet and dry things dry!
As the Aquarium and Research Facilities Technician I ensure our seawater systems run smoothly and meet high standards – keeping our animals and algae healthy and happy. You will often find me in a corner with a strap wrench and a screwdriver, either fixing a pump or building a new research system. I am excited to support the aquarium’s growth and get involved in the science behind the scenes.
Prior to this role I spent over a decade working in public aquariums, where I loved inspiring visitors about marine life and providing top-tier care for the animals.
Outside of work I am a proud nerd. I spend my free time playing computer games, diving into Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, or running around a field pretending to be a Viking.
Alix Harvey
Research Aquarium Manager
Alix Harvey
Research Aquarium Manager
alilec@mba.ac.uk
My role is to manage the research and lab facilities in our ecology department including general lab support, training and inductions of ecology staff, and lab health & safety. I run our research aquarium where I am responsible for animal welfare & husbandry and assist with the design and maintenance of experiments as well as ensuring the day-to-day functioning of our equipment and systems alongside our engineer and aquarist team. I have particular expertise with cuttlefish husbandry and breeding as well as having an interest in photography and filming.
The Ethical Use of Animals in Research Policy Statement
We are dedicated to conducting research that advances
our understanding of marine species and ecosystems whilst ensuring the welfare and respect
of all animals involved in our studies.
View our statement here
Accessing the Aquarium
The MBA Research Aquarium is open to internal and external users across multiple disciples and career stages. We regularly support national and international visitors from across the academic sector, whether as individuals or groups, for projects lasting hours to years. We also support local enterprises through our SEA facility and beyond. Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more about accessing our unique facilities.
Access is managed centrally by the Research Aquarium Manager to ensure appropriate allocation of facilities, technical support and resources.
How to access the facility
Researchers interested in using the MBA Research Aquarium are encouraged to contact the Aquarium Manager to discuss their requirements.
Email: aquarium@mba.ac.uk
Telephone: 01752 426493 (ask for the Research Aquarium Manager)
Initial enquiries should outline the proposed research, anticipated timescales and any specialist requirements, such as tank space, seawater treatment, temperature or lighting control, or animal husbandry support.
Fees and financial support
Fees normally apply to external users and reflect the facilities, equipment and technical support required. Costs are discussed individually and quotations can be provided during project planning.
The MBA is committed to supporting access to research opportunities across career stages and backgrounds. A range of MBA bursaries, studentships and research awards may provide financial support for eligible researchers, including opportunities to undertake research at the MBA. Eligibility and available support vary between schemes.
We encourage potential users to contact us to discuss their research requirements, including where funding or financial support may be needed.
Previous users and collaborations
Recently, the Aquarium has supported projects for the University of Cambridge, University of Bristol, Liverpool University, Essex University, The NaGISA project, Ocean Conservation Trust, The Rockpool Project, BluGreens, and ARC Marine.
The University of Cambridge
Dr Vistor Adjuwon visited from the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. c. Marine Biological Association
In 2026, we welcomed back Dr Victor Ajuwon and Willa Lane from the department of psychology at the University of Cambridge, to continue their work on cuttlefish cognition. Dr Ajuwon, supported by a Peter Baker award, remarks on this latest visit:
“I’m so grateful to the MBA for awarding me the Peter Baker Investigatorship to explore curiosity-motivated decision-making in cuttlefish over a 4 month period in 2026. This time was hugely productive and allowed me to develop new cutting-edge methods to investigate cephalopod behavioural flexibility and cognition. Cephalopods like cuttlefish are remarkably intelligent invertebrates, but we know relatively little about their inner lives. Better understanding their psychology can inform us about how resilient they are to environmental change and contribute to the improvement of welfare practices.” Dr Victor Adjuwon.
Find out more about this project here.
BluGreens – Seaweed for sustainable solutions
“BluGreens farm seaweed suspended on ropes at sea. The seaweed we farm is from locally collected seed. The seed requires specialist controlled facilities whilst being prepared and prior to outplanting. The MBA aquarium provides all the necessary infrastructure for this with ample space for future scaling and flexibility to meet our tank requirements.” Founder Toby Stevens-Flemming.
Our experienced aquarium team works with users to develop practical experimental arrangements, providing specialist support in seawater systems, aquarium engineering, animal husbandry and the operation of controlled research environments.
Contact us
If you have an enquiry about any aspect of the Marine Biological Association, please drop us a line below.
We look forward to hearing from you.
