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
Blue-lined octopuses inject paralysing venom to avoid becoming after-sex snack, study shows
For blue-lined octopus, mating is a dangerous game. That’s why males inject females with venom before sex, according to a new study.
“If an eagle fell, I had to carry it back up without being torn apart” How one woman helped save the bald eagle
In the 1970s, the bald eagle was on the verge of extinction. Thanks in part to the pioneering work of one young biologist, this magnificent bird has made a spectacular comeback.
Researchers stuck a camera on a baby whale in Hawai'i – they were never expecting to see this
Tags often record things such as sound and temperature, but this one captured something surprising...
Baby polar bears – this is the cutest wildlife video you'll see today
Heartwarming footage from the Arctic offers a rare glimpse into the early lives of young polar bears, when they are at their most vulnerable.
"Then along comes a predator” – but it couldn't have expected this
This blue-eyed ocean animal uses jet propulsion to move around the ocean – but is it enough to save this individual from a hungry predator?
Scientists just spent 16 months exploring Earth's oceans – what they found is breathtaking
The researchers discovered an astonishing 866 new marine creatures, including a species of guitar shark, a deep-sea limpet and an adorable pygmy pipehorse.
This tiny, deadly animal has venom so lethal it could kill a human within minutes – and there's no antidote
Discover all you need to know about one of the world's deadliest animals
Photographer stumbles across enormous 'smoking' animal in Indonesia's Banda Sea
The creature – which can grow almost two metres wide – was "like something from a sci fi movie," says photographer Aaron Sanders.
This fearsome ocean crawler slurps prey like a smoothie, breathes through its legs and can grow as big as a cat
Related to both spiders and crabs, sea spiders suck up the insides of their prey “like sipping through a straw” – they also store all their organs in their legs, say scientists.
'Pillar of intestines': entrancing video shows weird creature feeding like an "underwater sausage with hiccups"
These ocean 'aliens' can help researchers answer important questions about evolution.
A rare and ghostly shape just appeared in the Great Barrier Reef
It's only the second time the eerie-looking animal has been recorded in the region off the east coast of Australia.
Incredible drone footage of narwhals in the Arctic reveals never-before-filmed behaviour
Researchers have recorded the Arctic's 'unicorn of the sea' using its tusk in an extraordinary way.
“I will always remember that day”: freediver films intimate encounter with pod of enormous whales
The clicks of the sperm whales were so loud, she felt like she was one of the pod.
Fish Doorbell: the underwater livestream saving fish in the Netherlands
What is the Fish Doorbell and how is it helping local wildlife? Dive in for the full story...
When scientists dropped a baited camera into Indonesian waters, a haunting predator appeared
The stealth predator was caught on camera just off Kri and Mansuar islands in Raja Ampat.
Calm in the Maldives: cruising shark gives hitchhiking suckerfish a lift in the Maldives
The nurse shark had over a dozen suckerfish jostling for a ride.
Underwater camera records whale song "so powerful researchers could feel the vibrations through their feet”
Hear a humpback whale singing in Hawai’i – look closely and you’ll see the vocalist in the footage, too.
Expedition team has "unforgettable encounter" with one of New Zealand's most remarkable creatures
Researchers have captured 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?
Electric organs, venomous spines and eyes that migrate – meet the world's most peculiar fish
These ambush predators can also create a vacuum that sucks prey right into their mouths.
Eerie and elusive 'doomsday fish' washes up on beach in Mexico
The rare deep-sea oarfish, nicknamed the 'doomsday fish', is said to be a predictor of earthquakes.
"Little is known about their movement in these river systems” – mysterious animal tagged in India for first time ever
Researchers hope the tags will help them learn more about these elusive animals.
Was this man really swallowed by a whale? Experts analysed the video and here’s what they think
Whale experts say the news "is not quite what it seems” as a humpback whale’s throat is no bigger than a human fist.
"Who would have thought it would be so frilly!” See moment a cheeky baby whale sticks its tongue out
The little whale can drink up to 80 litres of its mother's milk every day to grow big and strong – and its tongue helps it do this.
Monstrous deep-sea fish filmed in daylight for first time ever
Most people never see this bizarre fish in their lifetime – these researchers found one by accident.