Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Marine science | |
Address | The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, PL1 2PB |
---|---|
Location | Plymouth |
Website | www |
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (MBA) is a learned society with a scientific laboratory that undertakes research in marine biology.[1] The organisation was founded in 1884 and has been based in Plymouth since the Citadel Hill Laboratory was opened on 30 June 1888.
The MBA is also home to the National Marine Biological Library, whose collections cover the marine biological sciences, and curates the Historical Collections.[2][3] Throughout its history, the MBA has had a royal patron.[4] In 2013, the MBA was granted a royal charter in recognition of the MBA's scientific preeminence in its field.[5]
Origins and foundation
In 1866 the
Many of the representatives of science and commerce present had different views to Huxley. Their views were put forward by
Founders
The committee formed at the International Fisheries Exhibition 1883 resolved to take action to establish a British Marine Laboratory, an initiative that ultimately led to the formation of the Marine Biological Association and building of the Laboratory in Plymouth. They were:
- Sir John Lubbock, MP (later Lord Avebury)
- P. L. Sclater FRS, Secretary of the Zoological Society
- F. Jeffrey Bell, Professor of Zoology at King's College London
- Michael Foster FRS, Professor of Physiology at University of Cambridge
- J. Burdon-Sanderson FRS, Professor of Physiology at University of Oxford
- W. H. Flower FRS, Hunterian Professor, Royal College of Surgeons
- Linnean Society
- A. Sedgwick, Trinity College, Cambridge
- H. N. Moseley, Linacre Professor of Anatomy at University of Oxford
- Owens College, Manchester(1879–93)
- W. T. Thiselton-Dyer FRS, Assistant Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- W. B. Carpenter FRS
- G. J. Allman FRS, Emeritus Professor of Natural History at University of Edinburgh
- Challenger ExpeditionReports
The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom was formed at a meeting held in the rooms of the Royal Society in London on 31 March 1884. All but two of the signatories of the resolution of 1883 were present, together with some other scientists. By this time Professor Huxley had been persuaded to give his support and was elected as the first president of the association, with Ray Lankester as honorary secretary.
Presidents and directors
The MBA is governed by a council which is headed by a president. The MBA's director is responsible for the day-to-day running of the association.[4]
Presidents
Since 1884, the MBA has had fifteen presidents.:[1][9][4]
- T. H. Huxley FRS (1884–1890)
- Sir E. Ray Lankester FRS (1890–1929)
- Lord Moyne (1930–1939)
- George Parker Bidder(1939–1945)
- Sir James Gray FRS (1945–1955)
- A. V. Hill FRS (1955–1960)
- C. F. A. Pantin FRS (1960–1966)
- Sir Alan L. Hodgkin FRS(1966–1976)
- J. Z. Young FRS(1976–1986)
- James Lovelock FRS (1986–1990)
- Sir Crispin Tickell (1990–2001)
- Sir Neil Chalmers (2002–2007)
- Sir Howard Dalton FRS (2007–2008)
- Sir Geoffrey Holland (2008–2014)
- Sir John Beddington FRS (2014–2019)
- Dr Gill Rider CB (2019–present)[10]
Directors
There have been fourteen directors of the Marine Biological Association since its foundation:
- 1884–1888: Walter Heape FRS
- 1888–1890: Gilbert C. Bourne FRS
- 1890–1892: William L. Calderwood
- 1892–1894: FRSE
- 1894–1936: Edgar Johnson Allen FRS
- 1936–1945: Stanley W. Kemp FRS
- 1945–1965: Sir Frederick S. Russell FRS
- 1965–1974: Sir J. Eric Smith FRS
- 1974–1987: Sir Eric J. Denton FRS
- 1987–1999: Michael Whitfield
- 1999–2007: Stephen J. Hawkins
- 2007–2017: Colin Brownlee
- 2017–2018: Matthew T Frost
- 2018-- : William H. Wilson
Past and current research
The MBA has a world-leading reputation for marine biological research, with some twelve Nobel laureates having been or being associated with it over the course of their career. Among them,
A public aquarium operated by the association was transferred to the new National Marine Aquarium at Sutton Harbour in 1998.[13]
The current MBA Research Programme includes work on
The association's research is led by a number of Research Fellows who each run an
Long-term science observations of physical and biological parameters in the ocean have been collected by the MBA for over 100 years providing a foundation of data supporting studies aimed at understanding biological responses to marine environmental changes including effects of climate change.[15]
National Marine Biological Library
The National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) began in 1887 as the research support library for the MBA.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association
Since 1887, the MBA has published the Journal of the Marine Biological Association (JMBA), a scientific journal "publishing original research on all aspects of marine biology".[16]
Royal Patrons
Throughout its history the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom has had a member of the royal family as its royal patron.
- HRH Duke of Edinburgh October 1953 – April 2021.[17]
References
- ^ S2CID 84504168.
- ^ "National Marine Biological Library".
- ^ "MBA Historical Collections". Archived from the original on 22 July 2017.
- ^ a b c "Governance". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ "Royal Charter". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ J. Caird, T. H. Huxley & G. S. Lefevre (1866) Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Enquire into the Sea Fisheries of the United Kingdom. London HMSO, Vol. I, 108 pp.
- ^ T. H. Huxley (1884) Inaugural address. International Fisheries Exhibition, 1883, Literature, 4, 1–19.
- ^ E. R. Lankester (1884) The scientific results of the exhibition. International Fisheries Exhibition, 1883, Literature, 4, 443–446.
- ^ "The Presidents of the MBA". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Dr Gill Rider CB - MBA President | Marine Biological Association". 15 June 2022.
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1922". Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "About the MBA". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ "Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, England". www.bshs.org.uk. British Society for History of Science. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Research". MBA. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ "Long-term Datasets". MBA. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ "JMBA: The Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom". Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- S2CID 250946520.
External links
- Website of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
- Website of the National Marine Biological Library