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

Official opening of the Marine Microbiome Centre of Excellence

New, state of the art laboratory facilities were officially opened at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) which will focus on the vast and varied microscopic world in our ocean, and help us understand its health and the impacts of climate change using world-class technology. After six months in construction, the Marine Microbiome Centre of Excellence … Read more

New MBA Fellows announced

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Fellows. MBA Fellows are senior practitioners in marine biology who have contributed to the discipline at the highest level. The status of Fellow of the MBA is awarded in recognition of distinguished and long-term contributions to marine biology at the highest … Read more

CPR Survey announces opportunity for technical partner

The Marine Biological Association is excited to announce an opportunity for a technical partner to produce a cloud-based data management and publication solution to meet the operational needs of the CPR Survey.  The solution will enable rapid and accurate data entry, analysis, visualisation and publication using global standards for marine biological data.  Driven by almost … Read more

Marine Biological Association announces major recruitment drive

The Marine Biological Association (MBA), one of the world’s longest-running learned societies on marine biology research is launching a major recruitment drive. The organisation was first founded in 1884 and has been based at Citadel Hill, overlooking the Plymouth Sound for 135 years. With recent funding and expansion plans, the Marine Biological Association (MBA) is now looking … Read more

Plankton modelling system forecasts important shifts in phenology and community composition in the North Atlantic Ocean

Significant changes in plankton abundance and seasonality due to global climate change could alter the biological carbon pump in the ocean, according to new research. Current Earth System Models (ESMs) used by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are projecting a decline in phytoplankton (plant plankton) abundance, and predict large seasonal shifts that may … Read more

Pete Rendle – 47 years of service

Appointed to the MBA on 18th October 1976 as Deck Hand/Engineer on our past Research Vessels Sepia (a previous version of our current RV Sepia) and RV Squilla. Pete has been dedicated to the Marine Biological Association for over 47 years. Prior to that, Pete started as a fitter with the Royal Navy.  He studied Marine … Read more