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.
Thousands of observations of marine wildlife have been recorded during the 2026 National BioBlitz, providing valuable data that will help scientists to monitor changes in biodiversity around the UK coastline.
Kelp forests along the UK coastline are more resilient to disturbance than previously thought, according to a MBA study recently published in the Journal of Ecology.
The MBA is honoured to welcome Rod Downie as a newly appointed Fellow of the Marine Biological Association (FMBA).
An ordinary post box on Plymouth Hoe has been transformed into an eye-catching celebration of marine life, thanks to a team of creative staff and students from the Marine Biological Association, who have handcrafted an intricately beautiful knitted and crocheted topper inspired by the sea.
Communities across the UK are invited to join in with a nationwide rock pooling competition this spring, with the Big Rock Pool Challenge National BioBlitz 2026. Combining marine species discovery with competitive wildlife recording, the event brings people of all ages and backgrounds together with the common aim of exploring and recording the incredible biodiversity of our coastal shores.
A new study indicates that major components of the animal nervous system are found in marine algae and play important roles in cellular communication. Multicellular organisms have developed many mechanisms to allow communication between individual cells. In animals, the amino acid glutamate acts as a neurotransmitter, allowing the transfer of information between neurons in the … Read more
A new economic analysis has shown that sequencing the DNA of all complex life in the UK and Ireland could deliver up to almost £3 billion in benefits to the economy over the next 30 years, with wide‑ranging impacts across agriculture, conservation, and research and innovation.
Our oceans contain a vast community of calcifying algae, known as coccolithophores, that play a critical role in the global carbon cycle through their ability to produce calcium carbonate in huge quantities. Coccolithophores are particularly abundant in the Southern Ocean, an area known as the Great Calcite Belt, but we know little about these communities due to their remote location.
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.