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
Heaviest jellyfish on Earth filmed on night dive in Pacific Ocean
The lion's mane jellyfish has an estimated maximum weight of more than 1,000kg. This videographer found one on a night dive off the west coast of North America.
"They brought this thing down to a loading dock and hoisted it up with a forklift”
Despite being the world's second largest fish, basking sharks are highly elusive, so scientists need to be creative when trying to learn more about them.
Giant manta spotted in Pacific Ocean. It was covered head to tail in sucking creatures
Remoras commonly hitch a ride on larger animals, but a marine biologist was shocked to see a ray almost completely covered in them
"It brought tears to my eyes." Drone footage shows elusive animal with a tooth as long as a car swimming in the Arctic
These animals are usually scared away by any movement in the water – but in 2024, cinematographer Martin Gregus captured them on film.
This underwater robot was filming 30m deep off the Californian coast, when an “unexpected visitor” showed up
A cormorant surprised ocean researchers when it photobombed their underwater survey.
“As it touches the seafloor, it kills whatever living thing it contacts by encasing it in a tomb of ice…” 10 mind-bending, terrifying ocean phenomena
These weird ocean phenomena are out of this world
Underwater robot stumbles across thousands of sharks all packed together and asleep on the seabed – stunning scientists
in 2024 scientists were left scratching their heads, underwater robot captured thousands of female sharks gathered on the seafloor in southern Australia.
Dolphin throws fish at man in Australia – and we're not sure why
When this man went to see a pod of dolphins in Western Australia, he wasn’t expecting them to share a gift.
“I'm shaking…” Watch incredible moment deep-sea researchers see something very rare - and very surprising - deep down in the ocean
This adorable deep-sea animal’s ear flaps make it look like a famous Disney character
Diver films orca carrying gigantic prey into the deep. Then this happens
Remarkable footage shows orcas playing with their food – and scientists have a few theories that might explain why they do it.
“None of us were expecting a hunt." Wildlife watchers in awe as peregrine takes down jay right in front of boat
The group were just heading onto land for a stroll when the hunt unfolded right before their eyes.
Tanks, helicopters and guns are sitting 24 metres beneath the Red Sea – Here’s why…
In Aqaba, 21 military vehicles arranged in tactical combat formation are attracting marine life in an Underwater Military Museum
It’s thousands of years old, as long as a football field, taller than the Great Sphinx of Giza and no-one knows how it ended up at the bottom of the sea
Visiting the Yonaguni Underwater Monument is challenging: expect seasickness and currents so strong you might only get a quick glimpse as you zoom by
Longer than the Titanic, it was built in secret and carried Hollywood royalty – now this legendary liner is being sent to the bottom of the ocean
Sinking the SS United States’ off the coast of Florida hasn’t been smooth sailing
Researchers put bleached corals and healthy corals together for 5 days – and were astounded at what they saw
Just a few days of contact with healthy coral could be enough to jumpstart recovery after bleaching – new study.
Astounding footage shows humpback whales teaming up with California sea lions to hunt in Monterey Bay
Scientists studied nearly 2,000 whale lunge-feeding events and noticed that something was different when California sea lions were nearby.
It’s 113 metres long and was sunk into a barren ocean floor 42m deep in the Gulf of Mexico – 7 months later this happened
The ‘Kraken’ artificial reef is now flooded with fishes after being sunk in 2017 to create an underwater habitat for marine life
It's 120,000-years-old, 800m down, as big as a basketball court and home to 30 amazing towers – some taller than Disney’s castle – and unearthly life
Some experts are worried about threats to the Lost City Hydrothermal Field if it isn’t properly protected
It’s nearly 3 football pitches long and could carry 80 planes – now this vast shipwreck is visited by the world’s largest shark
The wreck is known as the Great Carrier Reef in honour of the world’s largest coral reef system
It’s the size of Key West in Florida, 300 years old, buried 1,000m beneath Arctic ice – and is home to thousands of giant animals
This amazing sight, deep below the ice, was first discovered in 2022
Are there any 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?
Hundreds of baby whales are washing ashore dead – and the suspected cause is horrifying
Hundreds of calves have washed up off the coast of Peninsula Valdés since June and scientists are trying to figure out the cause
It’s bigger than the City of London and is home to a whopping 7.5 billion residents – or even more
The largest oyster reef restoration in the world is over three square miles and brings many benefits to the ecosystem
5,000 years ago, these forests drowned. Now they're thriving reefs – home to oysters, sponges, sharks, rays and turtles
Rising seas submerged these forests in Mozambique, now they serve as wildlife hotspots, with similar levels of biodiversity to coral reefs.
