Building the biodiversity component of the Digital Twin of the Ocean

Marine habitats present specific and one-of-a-kind issues when it comes to observing, mapping, and monitoring biodiversity in marine ecosystems. Despite advancements made in Europe to collect, harmonise, and make available data on marine biodiversity, a large portion of the data that is currently being collected is unavailable and inaccessible; this type of data is referred … Read more

The MBA and Cefas – 120 Years of Collaboration

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Cefas Chief Executive Neil Hornby and Cefas Chief Scientist, Professor Grant Stentiford to the Marine Biological Association. They were welcomed to our laboratory in Plymouth by Chief Executive, Professor Willie Wilson. They were given a tour around our facilities to see our cutting-edge science laboratories and meet our … Read more

Scientists warn that we must prepare for stronger marine heatwaves

With record-high temperatures combined with extreme climate and weather patterns; researchers say we must help communities plan how best to reduce the risks. © Underwater Earth / XL Catlin Seaview Survey / Christophe Bailhache Since April 2023, the global average temperature of water on the surface of the sea has been unusually high and rising. … Read more

Action is needed to protect ocean giants from lethal ship strikes

Large marine animals such as sharks and whales have huge ecological, social, economic, and cultural importance, but are under great threat from collisions with ships. Copyright: Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch In a recent article published in the journal Nature, experts from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and University of Southampton (UoS) warn that coordinated action is needed … Read more

Marine scientists from the USA visit the Marine Biological Association

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) welcomed scientists from three USA universities as part of new collaborative project to better understand dynamic sinking behaviour in diatoms. Dr Glen Wheeler hosted Brad Gemmell, Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, Kevin Du Clos, Assistant Professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and Professor Lee Karp-Boss from … Read more

BBC visits Marine Biological Association to investigate impact of rising ocean temperatures

The ocean has reached its highest average surface temperature, breaking a record high from 2016, according to the EU’s climate change service Copernicus. The ocean helps regulate our climate, produces most of the oxygen we breathe and is home to a vast range of species. It reached 20.96C (69.73F) – far above the average for … Read more

Sharing the history of the MBA – archive records now online

Having been established nearly 140 years ago, the Marine Biological Association (MBA) has accumulated a considerable amount of archive material. Now for the first time, the MBA Archive is available to view online. If you’re looking for historic research papers on a particular topic, correspondence between former scientists or documents on a specific species that … Read more

BBC Countryfile visits Marine Biological Association to learn about ocean warming and plankton, the ‘unsung heroes’ of the sea.

With 2023 on track to be the hottest year on record, scientists are working to understand and predict how these extreme temperatures will affect marine life. BBC Countryfile visited the Marine Biological Association (MBA) to discover how plankton are an essential part of life both above and below the waves, and how warming temperatures will affect … Read more

New partnership will provide technical solutions for plankton recording data

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is excited to announce the start of a new project which will help meet the operational needs of the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey. The CPR Data Infrastructure Project will enable rapid and accurate data entry, analysis, visualisation and publication using global standards for marine biological data. The MBA has … Read more