02 Jun 2026

Photo by Annie Spratt   Cornwall’s inshore fisheries regulator is proposing an emergency byelaw to restrict octopus potting by larger vessels, as concern mounts over the impact of an unprecedented population bloom on the region’s crab and lobster fisheries. Cornwall IFCA announced on 26 May that its members will consider the measure at a quarterly meeting […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Stephanie Harlacher   A dramatic population bloom of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) off the Southwest coast of the UK is having significant effects on fisheries and marine ecosystems, according to a new report led by the Marine Biological Association in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth and an independent consultant. The […]

15 Jul 2024

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) applied to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for a marine licence to replace a seawater intake line on the seabed off the coast of Plymouth. The existing pipe transports raw seawater to the MBA facility in Plymouth but has come to the end of its life. The project has an […]

17 Oct 2023

From the Marine Biological Association: Over six million occurrence points of marine species and habitats are now freely available online thanks to the dedication and hard work of citizen scientists, researchers, and data experts from the Marine Biological Association (MBA). The MEDIN accredited Data Archive Centre for Marine Species and Habitats data for the UK (DASSH) based at the MBA […]