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
"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.
Deep-sea scientists just filmed something enormous swimming over the seafloor in Chile
The rare footage shows the animal carry something – something it won't let go of for months...
This manatee was just tagged in Brazil – what happened next stunned everyone
Tico the manatee was released back into the wild after eight years of rehabilitation. But it didn’t go to plan...
Scientists stuck cameras on 10 whales in Australia – and they were amazed at what they saw
Researchers tagged the humpback whales to find out more about their annual migration along the east coast.
When researchers dropped a camera into a murky river in the Amazon Rainforest, something rare and peculiar appeared
A pod of enigmatic animals emerged from the darkness and began playing in front of the camera.
Ghostly 'moon' whale filmed in Tonga
The baby humpback whale was filmed with her mother and an escort whale. Experts fear there may be challenges ahead...
This deep-sea robot just bumped into something amazing – a strange "little unicorn" with a very special trick
The autonomous underwater vehicle was exploring the slopes of a never-before-seen seamount in the waters around American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean when it stumbled upon the strange creature.
Divers set up a camera in a lobster den. What happened next shocked them all...
Scientists in Australia were surprised to see Port Jackson and crested horn sharks appear out of the darkness.
Crocodile fish ARE real – and they can create a deadly vortex that sucks prey into their gaping mouths
The scary-sounding crocodile fish is actually shy and “will likely bolt upon seeing a human,” researchers say
“She appeared suddenly out of the blue murkiness – a massive white shark!” Close encounter stuns divers in California
Amazingly, most of the scuba divers were totally unaware the predator was just a few metres away.
What is Fat Bear Week and why is everyone talking about it?
The USA’s plumpest bears are facing off in the most anticipated weigh in of the year...