Willa’s PhD research looks at camouflage and cognition in cephalopods. Recently, she has been focusing on lateralisation, the idea that different halves of the brain specialise in different tasks. This is common in many animals, including humans, where we show preferences like writing with one hand.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered our festive Ocean Art Card Competition! Over 700 entries! The winner will be announced on Wednesday 11th November - stay tuned! #OceanArt #MBAMembers #MarineBiology #OceanScience #MBAScience

Along California’s coast, sea otters are quietly reshaping ecosystems - controlling crabs that once damaged eelgrass beds, allowing meadows to thrive. Offshore, in the kelp forests of Monterey Bay, otters feast on purple urchins, helping these underwater forests recover after years of decline.

'We have an exciting, yet challenging decade ahead as we chart a course that will mark 150 years of scientific integrity and excellence at the Marine Biological Association.' Dr Gill Rider CB, President MBA Find out more - www.mba.ac.uk/about-us/our...

New research has revealed a strong recovery of Southern Rock Lobster populations inside two South Australian marine park sanctuary zones. Read more in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association - statics.teams.cdn.office.net/evergreen-as...

South Australian reef productivity showcased in Southern Rock #Lobster study, by Adrian Linnane, is the latest Paper of the Month from @journalofthemba.bsky.social 📚 cup.org/3LnI5Uw #marinebiology #JMBA

Another excellent and important paper in our journal. Why not consider publishing your next piece of research with us 🐟 🪸🦈🐚

If AI & intertidal ecology tick your boxes, apply for the PhD with myself, Baihua Li & Jonathan Millet at Loughborough University and the Marine Biological Association. A transdiscipinary opportunity combining fieldwork & AI. @thembauk.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

It's #SeaSlugDay! To celebrate we have selected these beautiful illustrations from 'A Monograph of the British Nudibranchiate Mollusca' volume 1, published by @raysocietybooks.bsky.social. You can find two copies in the rare books room @thembauk.bsky.social 📖 BL.48/A

Professor Dame Judith Petts DBE, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Plymouth. The citation recognises her “outstanding contribution to sustainability, to the University, and to the regional development of the south-west of England.” Congratulations, Judith! 👏

Forming the base of marine food webs, algae are vital to life on this planet. They regulate climate and support biodiversity. These organisms are key players in ocean health and global sustainability. Photo by Davis Laundon.

Coral reefs can handle stress - until they can’t. Even small changes can push them past a tipping point, where vibrant underwater rainforests are left desolate, recovery can be slow or impossible without restoration. Together, we can power the science that protects our ocean. Follow, Join, Donate

The Marine Biological Association was delighted to be invited aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough during its stop in Plymouth last week, as the vessel prepared for its seven-month Antarctic mission. #MarineResearch #PolarScience #RRSAttenborough #OceanObservation #MBA Photo by Fleur Denis

"Why sequence the #genome of every species? A view from evolutionary biology" Did you catch this amazing new review in our journal by @peterhox.bsky.social? REad it for FREE here now: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... @thembauk.bsky.social #dnasequencing #chromosome #mutation #evolution

landmark High Seas Treaty to become international law The Marine Biological Association welcomes the imminent entry into force of the High Seas Treaty — a historic, legally binding agreement to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Studying Marine Biology? Join us and be part of a global network of students, scientists, and ocean advocates. £25/year, Student Members get: • Bulletins; news, events & opportunities • Access to marine library • Mentoring opportunities • The Journal of the MBA • Exclusive training and bursaries

Turn your ambition into action! ⭐🌎 MBA student bursaries provide direct support for students and postgraduates in marine biology, helping you take your next step toward shaping the future of our oceans. Apply here ➡️ buff.ly/3TuxcPm Become a Student Member for £25 per year ➡️ buff.ly/4cuvdDT

Scientists from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have uncovered a brand-new marine tardigrade, also known as a “water bear” along the shores of Labuan. Officially named Batillipes malaysianus in honour of Malaysia, this is the first new marine water bear recorded in the country in over 50 years.

Rays of Hope For centuries, we’ve treated the ocean as an endless bounty. Overfishing and industrial expansion have pushed sharks, rays, and their relatives (chondrichthyans) to the brink. Slow growth rates, late maturity, and targeted fishing have them vulnerable. The good news? ...

We’re delighted to announce that Dr Alice Horton has been awarded a prestigious UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and will soon be joining us at the Marine Biological Association!

🔬 We’re Hiring! Become the next MBA Postdoctoral Career Development Fellow Are you ready to take the next step in your research career and lead the way in marine biology? Find out more 👉 mymba.mba.ac.uk/job/postdoct... 📅 Apply by 15 October 2025 #MarineBiology #MarineScience #AcademicJobs

The Octopus Survey 🚨 Fishermen across the Southwest are reporting more and more octopus turning up in pots, traps, and on deck this year. We need your insight before the survey closes! 👉 Take the survey now before it closes - survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90884550/...

Fishermen & divers of the UK we need YOU! Our #octopus bloom surveys have been extended to Sept 21st. If you haven't already done so, please fill out the fishermen's survey survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90884550/... or divers survey survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90886025/... Thank you! Please share widely! 🐙

Our next round of student bursaries is now open! ⭐🌎 MBA student bursaries have helped turn ambition into action—removing financial barriers & unlocking access to global events, groundbreaking research, & career-shaping connections. 🗓️ Deadline: 31st October 2025 at 12pm Apply here ➡️ buff.ly/3TuxcPm

#Fishermen of Devon & Cornwall - have higher numbers of #octopus affected your catch? The MBA and partners are gathering your experiences on the impact - positive and negative. Take part in our survey, which will guide future support. bit.ly/3V2lVbR Image c. South Devon and Channel Fishermen Ltd.

Latest paper - out today - my personal views on why and how sequencing 100,000s of animal genomes will revolutionize evolutionary biology (and much more besides): tinyurl.com/JMBAgenome - open access in @journalofthemba.bsky.social. @biology.ox.ac.uk

🐙Have you spotted a Common Octopus in South West England? We’d love to hear from you - share your sightings by completing our short survey: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90886025/... #CitizenScience #Octopus #OctopusBoom #SouthWest #Diver #Snorkeling #MarineLife #AnimalBehaviour 🧪🌍

Delighted to share this interview on the @incomingtide.bsky.social. Huge thanks to Don MacNeish for saving a tree for me & @howardlwood.bsky.social for chatting with me about my involvement with @arrancoast.bsky.social over the past 20 years youtu.be/NgpmERb10D0?... #mpaswork #bemorescallop 🪸 🐟🐙🌱🦀🦞

#Octopus are cool, and I am loving working on them. But I'd feel better if they took their tentacles off my #scallops! Share your observations of the 2025 UK #octopusbloom through our newly launched public surveys. Links in the story below www.mba.ac.uk/public-surve... @thembauk.bsky.social 🐙

Great blog on a new paper in our journal: Underwater Video Reveals Novel Behavioural Interactions: A Case Study of Repeated Ongoing Association Between a Sharksucker Echeneis naucrates and a Yellowtail Parrotfish Sparisoma rubripinne coralmorphologic.com/b/2025/08/26... @whysharksmatter.bsky.social

A fantastic thread on this fascinating new paper ‘Underwater Video Reveals Novel Behavioural Interactions: A Case Study of a Repeated Ongoing Association Between a Sharksucker Echeneis naucrates and a Yellowtail Parrotfish Sparisoma rubripinne’ just published in our journal. Check it out!

ICYMI: I am offering a free online 2-hour crash course in how to write and publish a scientific paper, perfect for students and early career researchers about to write their first paper. The world of scientific writing and publishing can be confusing, but I'm here to help! 🧪🌎🦑

The Marine Biologist magazine - Call for content! We're looking for contributions for the January 2026 issue of the magazine of the marine biological community. The theme is 'Small-scale fisheries', but we're willing to consider content on any marine science-related subject. 🌊 #TheMarineBiologist

🔬 We're Hiring: Become the next MBA Anne Warner Research Fellow You’ll be at the forefront of groundbreaking research, leading a team of scientists to unlock new insights in the realms of cell and molecular biology. Apply by 17th September 2025 mymba.mba.ac.uk/job/mba-anne...

🌊🐚 Join us for the Community BioBlitz Festival 2025! We are excited to gather together from 19-20 September, for a jam-packed 24 hours of wildlife recording and celebrating our stunning coastline in the UK. 📍 Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre, Cornwall 👉 Sign up online today! buff.ly/xx4ZLA9

🌊 Just published: The State of South-West Seas in 2024 report🪸 From spiny lobster resurgence to pink “Barbieland” maerl beds, the South-West Marine Ecosystems Report reveals how climate, species, and human impact are shaping our coastlines. www.mba.ac.uk/the-marine-b... #SouthWestSeas #OceanScience

🧪 July’s #TheMarineBiologist is out! Featuring: 🔹 Glass sponge cities of the deep: Dr Angela Stevenson 🔹 Fisheries policy: small-scale regulation vs large-scale impact 🔹 The spread of octopus...Join our Community for this and more:

📣 Call for Papers | How is #climatechange altering temperate reef ecosystems? 🌊 Welcoming research on ecological, physiological & modelling approaches to understand past, present & future impacts. 🔗 cup.org/4eSKukv #MarineEcology #OceanScience @journalofthemba.bsky.social @thembauk.bsky.social

Are you interested in how diatoms communicate with each other? Exciting post-doc position available in my lab to study the signalling mechanisms of cell-cell communication in diatoms. Deadline 14th July. @kehelliwell.bsky.social @thembauk.bsky.social www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNO210/p...

🌊 We're Hiring! Join the Marine Biological Association and help tell the story of cutting-edge marine science from our stunning location beside Plymouth's National Marine Park! 🐠📍 If you love the ocean, & storytelling this is your chance! 🔗 mymba.mba.ac.uk/job/social-m... 📅 Apply by 04/08/2025

In 2004, MBA Professional Member Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS published a pivotal study identifying and naming microplastics in the marine environment. This #PlasticFreeJuly, support the MBA in protecting our oceans. Donate today www.mba.ac.uk/donate/ #PlasticFreeJuly #Microplastics

Calling all established #MarineResearchers! 🌊 Applications are now open for the Ray Lankester Investigatorship. Open to established researchers (10+ years post-PhD), this is your chance to pursue independent marine research at the MBA. Apply here 🔗 mymba.mba.ac.uk/ray-lankeste...

📹 Watch the video of the #Seafan reef we discovered during the filming of #Ocean with #DavidAttenborough here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=prb0... 🪸 @bd-stew.bsky.social

Thanks so much to Oceanographic Magazine for this excellent article on the pink sea fan reef we discovered during the filming of Ocean with David Attenborough oceanographicmagazine.com/news/flouris... @thembauk.bsky.social @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social @plymuni.bsky.social #oceanfilm #attenborough 🪸

A vibrant #SeaFan reef has been discovered off the Southwest coast of England during filming for #Ocean with #DavidAttenborough! 🪸 Discovered with @bd-stew.bsky.social‬, Silverback Films & Open Planet Studios, this "little sanctuary" is vital for marine life. 🔗 www.mba.ac.uk/extraordinar...

🌊 🦈 Welcome to Sea Spectacles! 🪼 🫧 Each month, we’ll introduce you to a new species. From jellyfish to deep-sea creatures. This month, we’re shining the spotlight on the speedy and sleek Porbeagle shark! A close relative of the much loved Great White that can be found in UK waters🦈#SeaSpectacles

One week left to apply for our next round of student bursaries! Apply here ➡️ buff.ly/3TuxcPm

Our Research Vessel Sepia crew had an incredible sighting this morning in Plymouth Sound—a pod of Risso's dolphins! 🐬

📍 Meet Dr Nova Mieszkowska at the International Temperate Reef Symposium! @marclim-uk.bsky.social‬ MBA Senior Research Fellow, Nova leads the global MarClim project on marine biodiversity & climate change. Discover her research, @journalofthemba.bsky.social‬, & Membership discount codes 🌿 #ITRS25

Marine Fungi are found everywhere in the ocean. They are recyclers, a goldmine of compounds and symbiotic with other marine life. I chat about Marine Fungi in the BBC programme 'Secrets of the Sea'. Follow the link 👉 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p... @thembauk.bsky.social @plymbiomarsci.bsky.social