We are proud to announce that Dr Dan Smale, Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association, has been awarded the Marsh Award for Climate Change Research by the British Ecological Society (BES). This prestigious honour recognises Dan’s exceptional contributions to understanding the ecological impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Dan’s research has been … Read more
A groundbreaking study, part-funded by the Marine Biological Association (MBA), has demonstrated the power of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to assess biodiversity in rocky intertidal zones across the UK. This is one of the first multi-scale applications of eDNA in these dynamic coastal environments, spanning a wide latitudinal gradient and offering new insights into how … Read more
Calling all citizen scientists – one of Britain’s favourite seaside pastimes is going national. The Rock Pool Project has announced the launch of seven new hubs across the UK, bringing its Competitive Rock Pooling events to more coastal communities than ever before. Thanks to support from the ScottishPower Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and … Read more
Scientists at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and the University of Exeter have discovered how tiny photosynthetic microbes known as phytoplankton prioritise resource use when nutrients are scarce, in a breakthrough that could reshape our understanding of the impacts of nutrient limitation on these important organisms, which form the base of marine food webs.
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) has launched two public surveys to gather vital information on the unusual surge in common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) numbers reported in the waters off the south coast of Devon and Cornwall this year. Numbers of octopus have been rising off the coast of Devon and Cornwall. c. Keith Hiscock MBE … Read more
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
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
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
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.
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
The Marine Biological Association
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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.