A new Seasearch Guide, Marine Crustaceans of Britain and Ireland has recently been published, featuring illustrations by Dr Marie Lebour (1877-1971), sourced from the MBA archive. Written by MBA Members Lin Baldock and Charlotte Bolton and also co-authored by Iain M.T. Dixon, this photographic identification guide is an invaluable guide to species identification of this … Read more
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
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.
Filmmaker and diver David Palfrey expected a routine dive off the Cornish coast—but instead encountered something extraordinary: octopus after octopus, gathered in open water and observing him in return. These surprising encounters inspired Bloomin’ Octopus! A Tentacular Spectacular, a new short film exploring the remarkable ‘octopus bloom’ in southwest England in 2025.
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) recently hosted a collaborative Scallop Potting Workshop, bringing together fishermen, regulators, researchers, industry representatives, businesses, and environmental NGOs for a full day of focused discussion on the future of this promising low‑impact fishery.
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) recently welcomed a group of students from the University of Essex to Plymouth for a day of immersive fieldwork, lab exploration, and rocky shore discovery in an experience that they variously described as “inspiring”, “eye‑opening”, and “transformative” for their ambitions to pursue a career in marine science.
A new report led by the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the University of Plymouth and an independent consultant has revealed that a dramatic population bloom of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) off the Southwest coast of the UK is having significant effects on fisheries and marine ecosystems.
Scientists at the Marine Biological Association have used a pioneering technological approach in individual diatom cells to uncover how these microscopic ocean organisms rapidly adjust their carbon uptake strategies to cope with changing conditions in the ocean.
Exeter University student and MBA Student Member, Jasmin Orak, joined the Marine Biological Association (MBA) this summer as a Spooner-Parke Summer Studentship awardee, spending 6 weeks immersed in hands-on marine microbiology research.
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.