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
Marine Biological Association Senior Research Fellow Dr Clare Ostle has been awarded a prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship to lead an ambitious programme that will further develop how plankton are monitored to better understand changes in ocean biodiversity.
Remarkable images of a Risso’s dolphin appearing to be ‘ridden’ by an octopus providing striking evidence of how an ongoing bloom in octopus numbers may be affecting marine wildlife in the sea off the Devon and Cornwall coast.
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that climate change is driving toxin-producing harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Pacific Arctic, raising concerns for marine wildlife, fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on the region’s resources. The Marine Biological Association (MBA) led research focuses on the Pacific Arctic region, which is warming faster than almost any … Read more
Marine scientists warn that continued warming of UK waters is likely to cause major changes to plankton, the tiny drifting plants and animals that form the foundation of marine food webs and feed the fish that end up on our plates.
Women in Ocean Science University Ambassadors Katie Thiessen and Georgia Dixon recently visited staff at the National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) to explore the Marine Biological Association’s archive and discuss collaborative opportunities for celebrating local women in marine science.
Researchers from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and the University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute (LSI) recently attended an interdisciplinary workshop focused on the cell and environmental biology of marine microbes and plankton. The event brought together academics working across a diverse range of disciplines, including marine microbiology, biophysics, structural biology, cell biology and ecology. … Read more
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is playing a critical role in a major new conservation project that will help to improve understanding and protection of some of England’s most iconic shark species. Led by the University of Exeter and supported through Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, the three-year project, From data to action: comprehensive assessment … Read more
The Marine Biological Association has welcomed the UK’s ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a landmark international agreement designed to strengthen the protection of marine biodiversity across areas beyond national jurisdiction, which cover nearly two-thirds of the global ocean.
International MBA-led study is helping to transform how researchers study the world’s largest known living fish species, offering practical guidance to improve whale shark tagging techniques and strengthen conservation efforts.
The Marine Biological Association
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Citadel Hill Plymouth,
Devon
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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.