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
Barrels dumped off LA coast have developed spooky 'halos'. We finally know what's going on
Caustic alkaline waste seeping out of discarded barrels has caused eerie white halos on the seafloor
Octopuses could help us build robots that rescue people from collapsed buildings. Here's how
New research reveals octopuses use all their arms for different tasks – a discovery that could inform the design of life-saving robots.
When a colossal sea creature washed up on a beach in Britain, experts were called in to solve the mystery
Arriving at the scene, they identified the animal as a fin whale, the second largest creature on Earth after the blue whale.
Peculiar deep-sea creature with huge eyes discovered 3,628m down off Californian coast
Scientists say the strange-looking animal is one of three new species of snailfish found on a recent expedition to the bottom of the Monterey Canyon off the west coast of USA.
"Pure wild": diver spots gigantic whale with pod of dolphins. He was amazed at what happened next
The huge humpback whale was surprisingly nimble as it whizzed through the water alongside the dolphins.
"Large, unidentified creatures" reported off Mexican coast. After long wait, the mysterious animals are finally identified
These rarely seen ocean creatures can grow up to 13 metres long and can dive 1,000 metres deep.
"The most transcendent wildlife experience”: ocean safari stumbles upon thousands of diamond-shaped rays
The enormous fever of rays was spotted off the coast of Mexico.
Drone spots more than 1,000 "ghost-like" animals off Mexican coast
The marine creatures aren’t usually spotted so close to shore – and seeing them in such large groups is incredibly rare.
When researchers put a camera tag on a whale, they never expected to see this
When NOAA researchers used suction-cup tags to study cetaceans, they caught the incredible moment a whale breached.
"Robust, powerful and unpredictable": give Reggie the dolphin his space, warn experts
Conservation experts are stressing the importance of giving Reggie – a dolphin that has spent much of summer in Dorset waters – his space to prevent any harm to both tourists and the animal.
What’s the most venomous animal in the ocean?
"I’m hitting the OMG button! Are you kidding?” Ghostly sea creature shocks researchers
Schimdt Ocean Institute scientists were surprised and delighted when a pair of crabs summoned their dinner from behind a coral.
Octopus with special trick filmed drifting through the darkness 1,047m down
Scientists from Schimdt Ocean Institute shared a video of a bright orange octopus that uses its colour for something important.
"Death can come within five minutes": Discover the 10 deadliest, most venomous, jellyfish on the planet
10 dangerous ocean creatures you don't want to get close to
Baited cameras capture slit-eyed creature in middle of Indian Ocean. It's the first time it has ever been filmed here
When scientists put underwater cameras on unstudied seagrass beds on the Great Chagos Bank, they captured a sliteye shark on film.
Scientists send soft-bodied robot 4,071m into deep ocean. They say it can "sense the environment"
Researchers believe the underwater robot – which looks and swims like a fish – could help improve deep-sea exploration.
"This was bizarre": underwater photographer captures curious interaction on Papua New Guinea reef
The researcher was observing Christmas tree worms at Kimbe Bay when he noticed the surprising behaviour.
When a diver approached this weird marine animal in Mauritius, he wasn’t expecting it to do this
Photographer Ian Haggerty stumbled across the bizarre-looking sea cucumber while exploring a reef.
“The action was intense… dramatic underwater chaos!" Diver films awesome feeding frenzy in South Africa
Underwater photographer captures the extraordinary moment a Bryde's whale bursts through an enormous ball of sardines off the South African coast.
"Most magical animals I've ever seen": drone photographer spots elusive creature with tusk longer than a sofa after 15-year quest
Since his first sighting, cinematographer Martin Gregus has been lucky enough to see these astonishing animals several more times.
20,000 deep-sea octopuses are gathering off the coast of California. Scientists just filmed them in breathtaking detail
Researchers have developed technology that can withstand harsh deep-sea conditions to help them study how the octopuses move.
When this photographer dived into a kelp forest, he was met with a truly breathtaking sight
A diver shares his magical moment with leopard sharks in the twinkling canopies of a kelp forest.
When a tsunami strikes, does any marine life survive? It’s not what you’d expect…
While tsunamis have a devastating impact on land, they also cause chaos in our oceans – with long-lasting (and often unexpected) consequences
“Probably ate it headfirst”: the day experts discovered what was inside this deep-sea fish’s bulging belly
Scientists at the Natural History Museum wanted to solve the intriguing mystery of what was inside this rare fish’s enormous stomach without cutting it open – here’s how they did it.
