140 Years of the Marine Biological Association

It’s been 140 years since the Marine Biological Association (MBA) was established. Founded in 1884 by Sir Edwin Ray Lankester KCB FRS in response to concerns to overfishing and fish stock sustainability, four years later a purpose-built laboratory was constructed at Citadel Hill, Plymouth UK. 

Library facilities were the cornerstone in providing support to the groundbreaking scientific work being undertaken. In 1887 a public appeal was made for donations and periodicals, and a library committee was established to manage the generosity of supporters. 

Initially the MBA’s library was located on the top floor of the original building and this was the case until 1931. As the need for more shelf space increased, it was decided that the library could no longer stay in its current location. 

After a successful funding appeal, the former laboratory space was converted into a larger library, which has then been expanded on several occasions over the years. However, this original space still remains as part of the library to this day.

The library has been located at Citadel Hill almost continuously since its opening in 1888; however, due to the location of large dockyards in Plymouth, the vast collection was rehomed to Hawkmoor House, Tavistock for the period of the Second World War and then safely returned after peace was declared in 1945. 

As increasingly more marine biological research was carried out by both the MBA and the global research community, the print collection required to support this activity grew at great pace as well. Allen Varley, former head of Library and Information Services was a key facilitator in the development of library services within the MBA and world-wide and he left a lasting legacy. 

In 1973, with help from the Natural Environment Research Council, another extension to the library was started, and was completed in 1975. This now includes the Southward Reading Room and the Rare Books Room, which is home to a selection of former researchers’ personal libraries and books on marine biology dating as far back as 1554. The Southward Reading Room was opened in 2016 by Eve Southward, in dedication to her husband  Alan. Both of the Southwards were highly regarded researchers at the MBA, with Eve being involved in creating new methods of dealing with oil spills as part of the response to the Torrey Canyon environmental disaster in 1967.

As increasingly more marine biological research was carried out by both the MBA and the global research community, the print collection required to support this activity grew at great pace as well. Allen Varley, former head of Library and Information Services was  a key facilitator in the development of library services within the MBA and world-wide and he left a lasting legacy. 

In 1973, with help from the Natural Environment Research Council, another extension to the library was started, and was completed in 1975. This now includes the Southward Reading Room and the Rare Books Room, which is home to a selection of former researchers’ personal libraries and books on marine biology dating as far back as 1554. The Southward Reading Room was opened in 2016 by Eve Southward, in dedication to her husband  Alan. Both of the Southwards were highly regarded researchers at the MBA, with Eve being involved in creating new methods of dealing with oil spills as part of the response to the Torrey Canyon environmental disaster in 1967.

Due to its importance to the marine biological community, the library was designated the National Marine Biological Library in 1996. 

As technologies have progressed, so has the library – the online catalogue was made available to all in 2013. As well as this development, the Journal of the Marine Biological Association UK (JMBA), which was first published in 1887, is now available in a digital format. 

The MBA is also a membership organisation and along with its staff and students, members have access to more than 15,000 books and 4,000 journal titles in the NMBL’s collection and have the support of a Library Services Manager (Carol Giles) and a Library Assistant (Kristina Hixon) to enable access to a wide variety of online journals for both research and publishing. 

The library staff, also, manage and administer the process of Open Access publishing for researchers both at the MBA and its partner organisation, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), as well as subscriptions for online journals and databases and other services, such as document supply and copyright advice.

The main research groups of the MBA are: 

• Coastal Ecology – particularly focused on ecosytem changes as a result of climate change and invasive species. A recent open access article looked at the diversity and structure of faunal assemblages in kelp forests

• Marine Microbiome – increasing knowledge on the biology and ecology of various microbial groups, including viruses and fungi. A recent OA article focused on the effect of nitrogen availability on yeast in the open ocean 

• Ocean Ecology – studying the effects of climate change and human impacts on marine life, such as this article on the impacts of ship strikes on whale sharks as a result of climate change 

The NMBL also houses the archives of the MBA -  a collection of material relating to the governance of the Association, as well as material collected and created by a number of well-known marine scientists. Some fascinating stories have been discovered within our archives, including information for a project on Maude Delap, an influential amateur marine biologist, which was run by University College Cork 

The metadata records for some of these ‘personal collections’ has recently been made available to view online at The National Archives Discovery pages  – making our long and pioneering history available to all with an interest. Archival material has also been used, for example, in recent PhD research to study the historical trends in seaweed communities.

Other collections held in the library include rare books, objects, expedition reports and personal libraries, as well as a very impressive Herbarium, containing seaweed and lichen specimens dating as far back as the 1850s. These all help to contribute to the rich history of the MBA and allow current researchers access to historical data and information, which can be used as evidence to inform future research.

As with many libraries, the NMBL is moving from a print to a digital world and changes to the collection and use of space are constant. However researchers access our knowledge and information, whether by using our archive and historic print collections, or by accessing our digital collections to study and publish cutting edge marine research, the NMBL will remain at the centre of this vibrant community for many years to come.