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
Adorable leaf sheep filmed mooching around reef in Indonesia is so cute you won’t believe it’s real
Often known as Shaun the Sheep, these lovable sea slugs are powered by the sun’s rays.
This snorkelling biologist just bumped into something very surprising at a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa
It was a reef manta ray feeding hotspot, discovered 500km further south than the species' known distribution range in the Africa.
Diver films close up of a shark's extraordinarily powerful secret weapon - and it's not its jaw - when hunting prey
Thresher sharks have an unusual way of hunting prey – which means their elongated tails aren’t just for show
"It brought tears to my eyes": elusive animal with a tooth as long as a car filmed in Arctic
These animals are usually scared away by any movement in the water – but cinematographer Martin Gregus captured them on film.
Photographer camps with Arctic polar bears for almost 100 days – what he filmed is extraordinary
Martin Gregus captured rare and beautiful footage of the polar bears rolling in a bed of purple fireweed.
“Your heart starts to race”. Diver captures footage of a huge, mesmerizing ocean creature, so rare they’re known as the 'unicorns of the sea'
Capturing footage of this rare ray is challenging – but not for the reason you might think
“I'm shaking...” Watch moment deep-sea researchers see something very rare - and surprising - deep in the ocean
This adorable deep-sea animal’s ear flaps make it look like a famous Disney character
These tiny, angelic-looking, flying sea creatures may look innocent and charming, but in reality they are anything but - as their menacing side proves
Sea angels flutter gently through the water until they find their prey – then, they attack
Ocean explorers film enchanting marine snow drifting "like a quiet symphony through the deep sea"
Marine snow falls all year round and helps deep-sea life thrive – but “you probably wouldn’t want to make a snow angle in it," say researchers who caught the magical spectacle on camera...
The worm that looks like a Christmas tree: Watch these strange and secretive colourful marine worms emerge in an underwater wonderland
These colourful worms are always in the Christmas spirit, but they’ll vanish inside a coral if you startle them, says Melissa Hobson
"It's like something from a sci fi movie.” Watch footage of a primitive ocean animal billowing out what looks like ominous plumes of smoke
The barrel sponges released smoke-like plumes of spawn into the water
When researchers attached cameras to baby humpback whales they discovered something amazing
Video shows how humpback calves tell their mothers they are hungry
Manta and devil ray meat consumed in over 35 countries, shocking new report finds
A new global assessment of manta and devil ray trade identifies 14 high priority countries for conservation efforts.
Something huge was just filmed at the bottom of a deep, dark trench in the Pacific Ocean
Researchers tethered a fish head to a camera then sunk it into the second deepest trench on Earth to see what they could find...
Deep-sea vessel discovers primitive creature "barely changed since the age of the dinosaurs” after 15-year quest
The strange marine animal – spotted at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean – is rarely photographed, let alone caught on video.
When scientists lowered a baited camera 1,054 metres into the Caribbean Sea, a shadow appeared out of the darkness
The researchers say it's the first time this deep-sea species has been recorded in the central Caribbean Sea.
Europe's native oyster ecosystems have collapsed. Here's what that means for the ocean
The oyster reefs once covered an area larger than Greater London, but now they're only found alone or in small clusters, say experts.
Robots just collected something significant from the breath of these rare orcas
What they found could have profound implications on the future of this small population of whales off the west coast of North America.
Something surreal was just seen off the coast of San Diego
It was a bioluminescent dolphin megapod – one of the most enchanting natural spectacles on Earth.
The largest spawning event on Earth is about to happen - here's what it will look like
The astonishing wildlife spectacle takes place every year on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia – and it's utterly magical.
"Large furry creature unlike anything else in the sea” filmed crawling along English beach
The strange-looking sea mouse washed ashore during a storm, say conservationists.
Ocean explorers just discovered these eerie underwater spiders doing something very disturbing
Related to both spiders and crabs, sea spiders suck up the insides of their prey “like sipping through a straw” – they also breathe through their legs, say scientists.
This underwater robot just ran into something bizarre at the junction of three vast tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean
What it found was literally dazzling...
Earth's biggest coral colony discovered in the Pacific Ocean– and it's so huge it can be seen from space
Experts estimate that the massive mega coral – found near the Solomon Islands in the south-west Pacific Ocean – is about 300 years old.