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
Drone films "apex predator at full strength” taking down turtle in Australia
The rare sighting is a reminder that sharks aren’t cute – but they’re not monsters either.
It has a gaping, cavernous mouth crammed with sharp teeth – and one of the wildest mating strategies in the animal kingdom
These deep-sea fish are known for their iconic lure which tempts prey close to their ferocious mouths so they can trap them in a cage of terrifying teeth
“Males bite the female’s aorta to deliver TTX. This sudden paralysis renders her immobile, enabling the male to mate successfully without being eaten.”
For blue-lined octopus, mating is a dangerous game. That’s why males inject females with venom before sex, according to a new study.
Fat Bear Week 2026: dates, voting – and why everyone is so obsessed with it
For one week each September, Alaskan bears battle it out to be crowned the girthiest grizzly – but why?
It has superpowers, the fastest punch in the animal kingdom and and is very reluctant to leave its fortress burrow beneath the ocean floor
Mantis shrimp spend most of their lives in their burrows, only leaving home to hunt and mate
Can any animal kill a blue whale? At 33 metres long and heavier than a Boeing 737, it is the largest creature ever to have lived but is it vulnerable?
It would be a brave animal that took on the world's biggest creature
This deep-sea animal was discovered in 1882. Still to this day it's almost never seen alive
The shape-shifting gulper eel is one of the ocean's strangest and most fascinating creatures.
“I cried with happiness.” Wildlife rescuers release young fur seal back into the wild in Tonga
People from several organisations came together to help the juvenile return to the ocean.
“We did not want to see this.” Researchers stunned as predator hiding in plain sight suddenly strikes
All was placid on the ocean floor, when this predator struck in a flash.
Up to 200,000 porcupine caribou make an arduous migration from the Yukon to Alaska every year. Watch their incredible journey
Witness one of the planet's greatest animal migrations.
“Oh my goodness. I was holding my breath.” Speeding boat nearly collides with humpback whales in Australia
Speeding boats can harm marine animals and cause safety issues for those onboard.
Expedition team has "unforgettable encounter" with one of New Zealand's most incredible creatures
In February 2025, researchers shared footage of nearly 30 New Zealand longfin eel ahead of their 1,000-mile migration to Tonga. After their epic journey, the eels lay their eggs and die – but how do the young get back home?
Can any animal kill an orca, the ocean’s undisputed apex predator?
No other predator is able to challenge the orca, says Melissa Hobson
Giant crab seen marching along seafloor. What happened next shocked these scientists
Marine researchers watched open-mouthed as a lithodid crab pulled a brittle star limb from limb and devoured its body.
“My mind was completely blown.” This diver was filming fish in Borneo, when suddenly the shoal parted to reveal a breathtaking sight
Sipadan Island in Borneo is famous for its healthy reefs and bustling marine life – as this incredible footage shows.
Deep-sea 'ghost shark' spotted feeding in the shallows off the coast of Vancouver Island
These deep-ocean fish usually spend their time around 1,000 metres below the surface, but sometimes they rise to the shallows where humans might be lucky enough to spot them.
"It produced a 12km high eruption plume, a large volume of floating pumice, and an island almost a mile-wide with cliffs 30-50m high"
The first recorded eruption of Home Reef, Tonga, was in the mid-19th century and it has had several periods of eruptions in the years since.
Divers hid 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.
Camera dropped under San Diego pier, then this scuttled over the lens
Ocean lovers can watch the world unfold below the waves from wherever they are via the Scripps Pier underwater camera.
Was it the lost city of Atlantis or a crashed UFO? The strange Ferris wheel-sized circle found at the bottom of the sea
The Baltic Sea Anomaly has been the subject of mystery and debate for many years
“As if they were showing off their tusks." Herd of walruses surrounds small tourist boat in the Arctic
With no one else around, these Arctic tourists got a close-up view of a lively group of walruses.
This ocean titan has 9 brains, hunts sharks at night and can grow as long as a school bus
The largest specimen ever found reportedly measured 9.75m long and weighed 272kg. Here's everything you need to know about the giant Pacific octopus.
"It can fit in the palm of your hand, could kill you in minutes with a venom a thousand times stronger than cyanide – and there's no antidote"
Discover all you need to know about one of the world's deadliest animals
“It causes excruciating ‘whole-body’ pain that lasts for weeks in humans.” 9 dangerous animals armed with deadly venomous spines
From pus-filled stab wounds to paralysis and cardiac arrest, it’s best to steer clear of some of the world’s most venomous spined creatures
