Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Marine science
AddressThe Laboratory, Citadel Hill, PL1 2PB
LocationPlymouth
Websitewww.mba.ac.uk

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

The Citadel Hill Laboratory (centre left), adjacent to the Royal Citadel on Plymouth Hoe.

In 1866 the

Scomber scombrus
), could ever be exhausted.

Many of the representatives of science and commerce present had different views to Huxley. Their views were put forward by

Sardina pilchardus), and ground-fish, such as soles and other flat-fishes, are really localised. If man removes a large proportion of these fish from the areas which they inhabit, the natural balance is upset and chiefly in so far as the production of young fish is concerned."[8]
During this masterly address he went on to develop this theme and concluded with an appeal for the formation of a society to foster the study of marine life, both for its scientific interest and because of the need to know more about the life histories and habitats of food fishes. Professor Lankester envisaged that such a society would construct a laboratory close to the coast, with the building containing aquaria and apparatus for the circulation of seawater and, most importantly, laboratory accommodation for scientists. The appeal was answered by a group of eminent scientists, who resolved to form a society and build a laboratory on the British coast.

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:

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]

Directors

There have been fourteen directors of the Marine Biological Association since its foundation:

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,

Alan Lloyd Hodgkin and Sir Andrew Huxley, work for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1963. The MBA publishes the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.[12]

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

marine ecosystems.[14]

The association's research is led by a number of Research Fellows who each run an

Croonian Lecture[citation needed], the Zoological Society of London's Frink Medal[citation needed], and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science's International Prize for Biology.[14]

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.

Edward A. Wilson and William Yarrell
.

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.

References

  1. ^
    S2CID 84504168
    .
  2. ^ "National Marine Biological Library".
  3. ^ "MBA Historical Collections". Archived from the original on 22 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Governance". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Royal Charter". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ T. H. Huxley (1884) Inaugural address. International Fisheries Exhibition, 1883, Literature, 4, 1–19.
  8. ^ E. R. Lankester (1884) The scientific results of the exhibition. International Fisheries Exhibition, 1883, Literature, 4, 443–446.
  9. ^ "The Presidents of the MBA". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Dr Gill Rider CB - MBA President | Marine Biological Association". 15 June 2022.
  11. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1922". Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  12. ^ "About the MBA". Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  13. ^ "Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, England". www.bshs.org.uk. British Society for History of Science. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d "Research". MBA. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Long-term Datasets". MBA. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  16. ^ "JMBA: The Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom". Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  17. S2CID 250946520
    .

External links