Melissa Hobson
Marine science and conservation writer
Melissa Hobson, doing business as The Ocean Writer Ltd., is a marine science and conservation writer based in Hastings. She has written about the ocean for outlets including BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile, National Geographic, New Scientist and the Guardian. Visit Melissa’s website at melissahobson.co.uk or follow her on LinkedIn.
Recent articles by Melissa Hobson
“I couldn’t make sense of what I was looking at” – Deep sea submarine pilot recalls first sighting of super rare ocean giant
It’s not only deep-sea researchers that get to see the rare giant phantom jellyfish
This haunting shipwreck in North Carolina has its own 'shark ballroom'
Why sand tiger sharks aggregate at the Aeolus wreck off the east coast of the US isn’t clear.
This giant ship sank off the Egyptian coast in 1941. Now an animal that looks like a crocodile hides in its shadows
The 126-metre-long ship went down with all its cargo when it was bombed in World War II. Now its trucks and motorbikes are home to barracudas, sea turtles and reptilian-looking crocodilefish.
When this WWII seaplane was discovered by a fisherman in 1994, dazzling animals were found hiding in the wreck
The Jake seaplane rests in shallow water off the coast of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean. How it got there is a mystery
In 2015, great white sharks vanished from Australia's Neptune Islands. Experts are still trying to work out why
Many researchers thought the two-month absence was caused by the predation of a white shark by a group of orcas. Now a new study suggests there may be other reasons for their disappearance.
As darkness fell, snorkellers in the Maldives filmed this giant engulfing its prey
Whale sharks are the biggest fish on the planet but they feed on tiny plankton.
One mile down, iron-rich waters, toxic fluids, and 81°C acidic vents made this volcano seem uninhabitable – yet scientists filmed something staggering
Eel City was discovered in 2005 but, when scientists returned in 2017, they couldn’t find any sign of the mysterious place
It’s bigger than the City of London and is home to a whopping 7.5 billion residents – or more
The largest oyster reef restoration in the world is over three square miles and brings many benefits to the ecosystem
Just like in Jaws, this great white shark got stuck in a small pond. Here’s what happened next...
When a great white shark got trapped in a shallow saltwater pond in Massachusets, Greg Skomal was called to help. Here’s how the experts tried to free her
“The fish life has exploded": 400,000 corals planted on dying reef in Bali. What happened next was remarkable
A diver in Indonesia was distraught at seeing coral reefs destroyed. So, he decided to do something about it.
They're older than dinosaurs, look a bit like aliens and eat almost anything they can find – and scientists just found them in Colombian waters
These researchers captured photos that wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery and used them to confirm new species of comb jellies never recorded in Colombia before.
“This one day, we saw something darker.” Diver films "unbelievable" animal attack in Mexico
When this ocean filmmaker visited a sea lion colony in La Paz, this was the last thing he expected to see.
This haunting sound was captured near Bermuda in 1949. It's the oldest known whale song recording
Archivists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have uncovered the earliest known whale song recording, taken almost 80 years ago.
"Ultimate ocean travellers": diver in Japan finds tiny animals with tentacles around their mouths
The reef-dwelling creature gave the Brazilian researcher a weird sense of déjà vu. Here's why
This strange animal video may be the most oddly satisfying thing you see all day
Sand dollar exoskeletons are often found washed up after the animal has died. But this live individual has put on a hypnotic show that helps calm the mind.
“Seriously underestimated.” Shark experts looked into the eyes of this deep-sea giant and were stunned by what they saw
Researchers have long thought that Greenland sharks have poor vision but a new study reveals the opposite.
"Suddenly one shot to the surface... I'd never seen anything like this before"
A diver in the Maldives was lucky enough to film the exact moment a eagle ray decided to shoot up to the surface in a magnificent breach.
Which absorbs more carbon – forests or oceans?
Forests store a remarkable amount of carbon, but which stores more – forests or oceans?
“It took me a few seconds to register what I was seeing.” Diver makes incredible discovery in Australian kelp forest
Researcher Océane Attlan just found a fish so rare it has only been recorded once since it was first discovered.
Why scientists just drilled 1,000m to the bottom of the ‘Doomsday Glacier’
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and South Korea wanted to see inside the 40-mile-wide Antarctic glacier to learn more about why it's melting so rapidly.
Elusive tentacled animals that "avoid sunlight like the plague" spotted off coast of Norway
OceanX explorers filmed the drifting red helmet jellyfish in the deep waters off the Scandinavian coast.
Do crocodiles get a taste for human flesh?
When saltwater crocodiles become a risk to people’s safety, they are often killed or taken into captivity. Is this fair? Do they really develop a preference for human meat?
"Never seen before.” Scientists make astounding discovery on Australian island
Researchers in Australia found an endangered species of lamprey far outside its usual range and hope this could help them better understand how to protect it.
Researchers sink listening devices 1,100m deep off the Louisiana coast and hear the sounds of an elusive animal
Scientists used 3D acoustic technology to learn more about the diving behaviour of beaked whales – this is what they found.
