Founded in 1884, the Marine Biological Association was granted a Royal Charter from Her Majesty The Queen in 2013, in recognition of the MBA’s long and eminent history and its status within the field of marine biology.
More information about the Charter can be found here. The Association's governance documents can be downloaded below:
Royal Patron
Throughout its history, the MBA has had a Royal Patron. From 1953 to 2021, HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, has been an excellent patron of the MBA. You can find our statement on his passing here.
Council Members
The MBA is governed by its members through a distinguished Council of leading scientists and public figures including permanent representatives from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, the Royal Society, the Physiological Society, the Zoological Society, the British Science Association, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (or successor body) and the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. In addition to the permanent representatives, the Council also includes a number of members who are elected at the Annual General Meeting and who serve for a period of three years. The Council is also the Board of Trustees.
The President is supported by the Honorary Treasurer who is elected annually from amongst the Association’s members, and a number of Vice-Presidents. The Council also appoints a Secretary, who is neither a member of Council or a trustee, and combines with this office the employed office of Director. Three committees oversee the Association’s day-to-day activities.
Full lists of the MBA’s previous Presidents and Directors can be found here.
President
Governors
- Dr Jennifer Ashworth FMBA (Worshipful Company of Fishmongers)
- Professor Chris Frid FMBA (British Science Association)
- Professor John Raven FRS, FRSE, CBiol, FRSB, FMBA (Royal Society)
- Professor Stuart Rogers CSci FIMarEST Mem.MBA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
- Professor Alison G. Smith FMBA (Cambridge University)
- Professor Michael Whitaker FMedSci FBS FMBA FRSA FMBA (Physiological Society)
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Professor Heather Koldewey (Senior Technical Specialist, ZSL; Honorary Associate Professor, University of Exeter Penryn campus; National Geographic Fellow and Science co-lead for Sea to Source expeditions)
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Professor Rosalind Rickaby (Professor of Biogeochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford)
MBA Council
- Mr Richard Coombs
- Professor Paul J B Hart Mem.MBA
- Professor Patrick Holligan Mem.MBA
- Professor Dan Laffoley
- Professor Judith Petts CBE
Honorary Treasurer
Vice-Presidents
The Marine Biological Association also has a number of Vice-Presidents, that support the work of the MBA President.
The current Vice-Presidents of the MBA are:
- Professor Geoff A. BOXSHALL, BSc, PhD, FRS
- Professor Malcolm BURROWS, MA, PhD, ScD, FRS
- Professor Stephen J. HAWKINS, FMBA
Committees
The Association is also overseen by three Committees who report directly to Council: Finance and Management Committee, Knowledge Exchange Committee and the Research Committee
