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
We don’t know how great white sharks have sex, but what we do know about their mating ritual is terrifying
All we know about great white shark sex
“It was pure chaos!” Diver stumbles across huge tentacled animal in Australia
Underwater videographer shares incredible footage of the moment he discovers an enormous lion's mane jellyfish.
When this filmmaker went out to sea in the Philippines, he wasn’t expecting to see this
Boogs Rosales was on a boat at Kimud Shoal dive site just off Malapascua Island when a shark leapt metres out of the water right in front of him.
Camera traps just caught this beaver farting on a quiet riverbank in England
Conservationists had “a good giggle” when the beaver broke wind.
Are there great white sharks in UK waters?
British seas have temperate waters and lots of seals – perfect conditions for great white sharks. But is the iconic species found here?
"That moment for me was breathtaking“: extremely rare whale seen in The Bahamas for the first time
There are less than 400 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet and they’ve never been seen in The Bahamas – until now.
"What is that?" When scientists put a camera on a nurse shark in Florida, they never expected it to film this
The researchers were using camera tags to learn more about shark behaviour.
Time-lapse camera records elusive tentacled animal 5,000m deep in Atlantic Ocean
The footage gave researchers new insights into a type of deep-sea creature only previously captured through still photography.
“Utterly spectacular”: incredibly rare 'pack ice' killer whale filmed swimming in Antarctic snow
Pack ice killer whales are a unique type of orca that live in Antarctica – and there are fewer than 100 left.
When researchers sunk baited cameras into Timor-Leste’s deep ocean for the first time, they made a stunning discovery
The cameras recorded the first-ever live footage of one of the rarest deep-sea animals in the world.
An armoured sea creature is hiding in plain sight on the deep, dark walls on Monterey Canyon
Tough scales protect it from predators, while long, sticky tentacles help it ensnare prey.
Colossal squid filmed alive in deep ocean for the first time ever
The incredible footage of a colossal squid in its natural environment was captured in the South Atlantic Ocean 100 years after the species was identified.
When explorers went to the Falkland Islands, a group of curious animals surrounded them
The huge birds approached the researchers “before giving a trademark side-eye and waddling off”.
This beautiful, flamboyant predator has a deadly, venomous streak...
These beautiful predators are immediately recognisable and cause chaos in many coral reefs around the world
"We were amazed to observe a cuttlefish waving back" – video experiment stuns scientists
The researchers observed what happened when cuttlefish watched videos of, and listened to recordings of, fellow cuttlefish performing special arm wave signs.
"So weird. So unreal”: diver films fantastical creatures crawling along seafloor
These extraordinary animals come in a range of colours and patterns so wide that people are surprised they’re even real.
"Insanely lucky" drone pilot catches rare glimpse of ancient animal in Australia
The endangered sea creature has only been sighted around 60 times in New South Wales – this lucky photographer caught three different individuals on film.
Peculiar sea creature that looks like a spotty golf ball filmed near Vancouver Island after season-long search
These strange red animals are hard to find because they hide in rocks and kelp – but that didn't stop this underwater videographer from trying.
When marine biologists peered into this shark egg, they were utterly astonished by what they saw
The researchers documented the first confirmed case of identical twins in small spotted catsharks.
“This is what a turtle eruption looks like – wait till the end!"
Watch the magical moment baby green turtles erupt from their nest on Heron Island in Australia.
Ocean photographer films "beyond mesmerising" natural spectacle in underwater cave
A photographer has shared dazzling footage from his daily visits to see thousands of fish swim together “in perfect synchronicity”.
An expedition team were filming in a remote kelp forest in Patagonia when this happened
The divers came face to face with some “curious” creatures in the underwater forest.
It has 24 eyes and is one of the world's deadliest animals, with a sting so venomous it can kill a human in minutes
This is one animal you should definitely give a wide birth if you see it, says Melissa Hobson
Explorers stumble across whale carcass at bottom of ocean – what they find feasting on it fills them with awe
Despite its long, drifting journey into the deep ocean, the marine scientists discover that the dead whale still has life to give.