Dr Katherine Helliwell Wins Society of Experimental Biology President’s Medal in Cell Biology

Dr Katherine Helliwell, NERC Independent Research Fellow and joint Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association and the University of Exeter, was awarded The Society for Experimental Biology’s (SEB) President’s Medal earlier this year. Awarded to three young scientists of “outstanding merit”, Katherine was recognised for her work in cell biology, particularly in understanding algal … Read more

Mysterious circles of basking sharks explained

Rarely observed circling behaviours of endangered basking sharks have now been explained as ‘shark speed dating’ courtship displays, thanks to a new study. Marine biologists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA), the Irish Basking Shark Group and colleagues have led ground-breaking research which reveals the circles of basking sharks seen off western Ireland are engaged … Read more

First Sighting in British Isles of Nudibranch Species

The sea slug Berghia coerulescens has been recorded for the first time in the British Isles. Nick Jouault, former chair to the Marine Biology Department of the Société Jersiaise, sighted the nudibranch (confirmed by expert Bernard Picton) on 8th August 2022 near Les Écréhous reef in Jersey. Founded in 1873, the Société Jersiaise is dedicated … Read more

The MBA at the Royal Society

Written by Kes Scott-Somme The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition is arguably the biggest interactive science event in the UK. Open for free to the public, it lets cutting edge science projects communicate directly with interested individuals. MBA staff Joanna Harley, Patrick Adkins and Kes Scott-Somme went along to represent the project they work on; … Read more

Mount Batten Bioblitz – The Results Are In

Written by Joanna Harley On a sunny day in June, 37 naturalists and 27 school students joined forces with the Darwin Tree of Life Project (DToL) for the Marine Biological Association’s annual Bioblitz at Mount Batten Bay. The Bioblitz ran simultaneously between Mount Batten Bay, Plymouth and Little Sparta, Scotland, and the day was spent … Read more

Taking the plunge with a fresh new look

For almost 140 years, The Marine Biological Association (MBA) has been the voice of marine biology. Now we can reveal our new branding and website, which demonstrates our continued passion for the understanding of the ocean and life that resides there. This bold new look has been created to reflect the integrity of our research, … Read more

Darwin Tree of Life project at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

A landmark project to sequence the genomes of all 70,000 species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland will be on show this summer at one of the largest free science festivals in the UK. The Darwin Tree of Life project, a collaboration between eight leading research organisations and funded by Wellcome, is a collaboration between experts … Read more

Obituary: Geoffrey W Potts

Geoff was born on 15th February 1941 and died on Easter Monday 18th April 2022. His funeral will be held on Saturday 21st May in Cornwall. If you would like to attend please contact Willie Wilson for details. Geoff was a tall man with a craggy face but gentle with it. His main interest for much of … Read more