Professor David Sims marks 50 years since Jaws with reflections on shark conservation

As the iconic film Jaws marks its 50th anniversary this week, MBA Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Southampton, Professor David Sims, has published a compelling article in The Conversation that examines the film’s lasting impact on sharks and how science is helping them recover. In his article titled Jaws helped … Read more

Insights and approaches from the long-term Continuous Plankton Recorder survey contribute to better understanding of ecological synchrony

Populations of animals and plants – even those separated by thousands of miles – can fluctuate in synchrony, driven by shared environmental influences. This striking phenomenon, known as spatial synchrony, is the subject of a new synthesis study published in Ecology Letters, led by researchers at the University of Kansas and co-authored by Dr Lawrence … Read more

Extraordinary sea fan reef discovered off England’s Southwest coast during filming of ‘Ocean with David Attenborough’

Hidden but vulnerable marine treasure discovered in collaboration between the Marine Biological Association, Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios. In an extraordinary moment of chance during the production of Ocean with David Attenborough, a vibrant and exceptionally well-preserved pink sea fan reef has been discovered off the southwest coast of England. The find, described as … Read more

UN-backed global research movement shows benefits of tracking ocean giants for marine conservation

A team of international scientists has tracked over 100 marine megafauna species, identifying the most critical locations in our global ocean for better marine conservation efforts, according to new research published in Science.

Historic seaweed surveys reveal long-term changes in UK’s kelp forests

A new scientific study has unearthed compelling insights into how the UK’s iconic kelp forests are responding to climate change — by revisiting seaweed surveys first conducted over 80 years ago by legendary MBA marine biologist Dr Mary Parke FRS. Published in the journal Diversity and Distributions, the study – Intra and inter-decadal scale variability … Read more

Marine Biological Association Postgraduates sweep awards at prestigious PlyMSEF2025 Conference

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is proud to celebrate the outstanding success of its postgraduate students, who secured an impressive five awards at the Annual PlyMSEF2025 Postgraduate Student Conference held at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. The conference, organised by the Plymouth Marine Science and Education Foundation (PlyMSEF), brought together early-career researchers from five leading marine institutions … Read more

The Mesolens microscope transforming phytoplankton visualisation

The Marine Biological Association’s Microbiome Centre is home to unique and cutting-edge facilities which allow us to explore the cellular processes that shape the unique biology of marine life. Our world class microscopy equipment, including the Mesolens microscope, allow us to study marine organisms at cellular and subcellular resolution—and we’re proud to house one of … Read more

MBA RV Sepia undergoes major IT upgrade

The MBA’s IT department has significantly upgraded the data connectivity and computing facilities on the Sepia vessel, resulting in enhanced cybersecurity, operational efficiency, and resilience. Internet connectivity To fully leverage our MBA 365 ecosystem capabilities, we needed to enhance our data connectivity on the vessel to support frequent synchronisation. Therefore, we upgraded from a small … Read more

BBC Countryfile captures moment of connection as young rays are released into Plymouth Sound

In a heartening segment filmed for BBC’s Countryfile, presenter Vick Hope joined our team aboard the RV MBA Sepia for a special milestone: the release of young rays back into the waters of Plymouth Sound. The event marks a key moment in the Little Rays of Hope project — a collaborative initiative from the Marine … Read more