A Plymouth fisherman has captured remarkable footage of a large sea hare gliding through the waters of the Barbican, offering a rare glimpse of an unusual marine visitor swimming freely in one of the city’s busiest waterfront settings.
New findings from the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) highlight how 25 years of annual monitoring, backed by the long-running MarClim project are providing unprecedented insight into the impacts of climate change on the UK’s coastal and intertidal habitats. Long-term observations of rocky shore species are revealing clear, biological responses to a warming marine … Read more
A brightly coloured sea slug spotted by a local citizen scientist and diver off Lundy has sparked interest from marine experts. In a potentially significant development, the discovery has attracted the attention of a leading nudibranch specialist who suspects the striking creature may represent a species never before recorded by science. The tiny but striking … Read more
Families, local residents, and wildlife enthusiasts are invited to join a fun-filled 24 hours of coastal exploration, wildlife discovery and hands-on activities at The Rock Pool Project’s Community BioBlitz Festival in Cornwall on 29-30 August.
Partners in the world of marine research and observation, including the Marine Biological Association (MBA), have highlighted major ecological changes occurring across the region’s waters in the latest State of South-West Seas 2025 report.
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.
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 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.
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) recently welcomed a group of students from the University of Essex to Plymouth for a day of immersive fieldwork, lab exploration, and rocky shore discovery in an experience that they variously described as “inspiring”, “eye‑opening”, and “transformative” for their ambitions to pursue a career in marine science.
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.