Marine Biological Association
The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is one of the world’s longest-running societies dedicated to promoting research into our oceans and the life they support. Since 1884 we have been providing a unified, clear, independent voice on behalf of the marine biological community and currently have a growing membership in over 40 countries. We also run a leading marine biological research laboratory where many eminent scientists - including 7 Nobel prize winners - have carried out their research.
Greatest distance sampled by a marine survey
The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey is one of the world’s longest-running marine science projects. Established in 1931 by British marine biologist Sir Alister Hardy, it was originally intended to help understand how plankton influenced herring numbers, however its scope today goes much further than just fishery data. Coordinated by the Marine Biological Association (based in Plymouth, Devon, UK) the CPR Survey uses towed marine samplers to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and historic trends of plankton, as well as valuable insights into aspects such as climate change, marine litter (including a crucial role in the recent recognition of microplastic), pathogens and ocean acidification. By 31 Dec 2020, the survey had studied 7,063,622 nautical miles (13,081,828 km; 8,128,671 mi) of ocean – equivalent to 326 circumnavigations of the world – over the course of its almost-90-year history.