History and origin of Management

The Marine Biological Association was formed in 1883 by a group of scientists and men of affairs who were interested in fisheries and the study of marine life. One of the most active members of this group was E. Ray Lankester who became honorary secretary of the Association when it was formally constituted on 31 March 1884, with T.H. Huxley as the first President. It was decided to build a laboratory in Plymouth, where there was a great variety of marine life. The Laboratory was opened in June 1888, and from the beginning the investigations in marine biology were multidisciplinary, ranging from fishing to physics.

In 1965 administration of the government grant to the MBA was transferred from the Development Commission to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), who gradually increased their financial assistance and involvement in the research undertaken. In 1988 most of the environmental work of the MBA was amalgamated with that of the NERC Institute for Marine Environmental Research, (established in Plymouth in 1971) to form the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). The MBA retains its own independent research programme, funded by a grant-in-aid from the NERC and by grants from other Research Councils and from private foundations. The work continues the MBA tradition of individually motivated, curiosity driven, research into fundamental questions in marine biology, through a Fellowship programme that is closely interwoven with the visitors' programme.

The MBA is governed by a distinguished Council of leading scientists and public figures keen to promote the development of marine biology, and has played a very active role in the affairs of the Association. More than 170 Fellows of the Royal Society have worked at the laboratory and benefited from its creative atmosphere and the Association has contributed to the work of no less than 13 Nobel Prize winners.