This concern was expressed at the International Fisheries Exhibition in London in 1883, a conference called to discuss the commercial and scientific aspects of the fishing industry, and which was attended by many leading scientists of the day.

He stated that with existing methods of fishing, it was inconceivable that the great sea fisheries, such as those for cod (Gadus morhua), herring (Clupea harengus) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus), could ever be exhausted.

Their views were put forward by E. Ray Lankester, who summed up the scientific contributions in an essay on what we would now call ecology.

The appeal was answered by a group of eminent scientists, who resolved to form a society and build a laboratory on the British coast.

They were: The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom was formed at a meeting held in the rooms of the Royal Society in London on 31 March 1884.

By this time Professor Huxley had been persuaded to give his support and was elected as the first president of the association, with Ray Lankester as honorary secretary.

[13] The current MBA Research Programme includes work on molecular and cell biology, physiology and ecology.

[1] Today, it provides research support for the MBA, the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

The NMBL's Special Collections include the research libraries of several eminent MBA scientists; these are George Parker Bidder, Edward Thomas Browne, Sidney Frederic Harmer, E. Ray Lankester, Marie Victoire Lebour and John Zachary Young.