Data and Information

At the Marine Biological Association (MBA), high quality data form the core of our research. From long-term observations to world-class science, including the globally significant Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey, we generate a wide range of data and information that underpin our understanding of marine systems.

Our focus is on ensuring these knowledge assets are well managed, discoverable, and accessible for reuse. By supporting the full lifecycle of research data—from planning and collection through to publication and long-term stewardship—we maximise the value and impact of MBA science, enabling it to inform policy, management, and future research.

MBA plays a key role in national and international data initiatives, supporting the evidence requirements of UK Marine Strategy, and contributing to MEDIN, and wider European data infrastructures. We host the UK node of the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS-UK), supporting the mobilisation of marine biodiversity data to global networks. Through the UK Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data (DASSH), we act as custodians and publishers of a wide range of marine biodiversity datasets on behalf of the UK marine science community, extending the reach and impact of data beyond individual projects and organisations.

By aligning with recognised standards and FAIR principles, and by connecting datasets with publications and other research outputs, we enhance visibility, support collaboration, and create new opportunities for insight—ensuring that MBA research continues to deliver value beyond individual projects.

Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) maintains one of the longest and most detailed marine observatory databases, Western Channel Observatory, which is continually sampled by in-situ buoys, augmented by regular boat and atmospheric sampling. The NERC Earth Observation Data Acquisition and Analysis Service is hosted at PML and routinely processes data from a number of satellite sensors to create a range of products. In addition we collaborate with the Met office to produce operational models of the European shelf seas and maintain an operational model of the Plymouth marine region.

Our Atlantic Meridinal Transect is a multidisciplinary programme which undertakes biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research during an annual voyage between the UK and destinations in the South Atlantic.

The Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory (PPAO) receives atmospheric input from the north-west, across the Tamar Estuary from sources in Northern Europe and local shipping, and the open, less polluted Atlantic Ocean to the south-west. This allows us to quantify the impact of anthropogenic activity, such as emissions from ships, on coastal environments as well as the influence of the sea on nearby land.