
Melissa Hobson
Melissa Hobson is a freelance writer who specializes in marine science, conservation and sustainability, and particularly loves writing about the bizarre behaviors of marine creatures. Melissa has worked for several marine conservation organizations where she soaked up their knowledge and passion for protecting the ocean. A certified Rescue Diver, she gets her scuba fix wherever possible but is too much of a wimp to dive in the UK these days so tends to stick to tropical waters. Her writing has also appeared in National Geographic, the Guardian, the Sunday Times, New Scientist, VICE and more.
Latest articles by Melissa Hobson

Elusive prickly sharks spotted gathering at underwater mountain off Panama — but why remains a mystery
By Melissa Hobson published
Researchers have spotted an atypical gathering of rare prickly sharks around a seamount off Panama.

Blue dragon: The deadly sea slug that steals venom from its prey
By Melissa Hobson published
The blue dragon may be too weak to resist the ocean's current, but it can take on a Portuguese man o'war and even steal its venom.

Skeleton panda sea squirt: The weird little creature that looks like baby panda dressed up for Halloween
By Melissa Hobson published
Scientists discovered this little panda skeleton that lives off the coast of a Japanese island was a new species after scuba divers posted photos of it online.

Great white shark gets liver torn out by lone orca in under 2 minutes in shocking shift of hunting methods
By Melissa Hobson published
Disturbing footage shows the moment a single orca chased down a great white shark and killed it, then swam away with the shark's liver in its jaws.

Critically endangered right whales are shrinking, with drastic consequences for their population
By Melissa Hobson published
Climate change appears to be causing North Atlantic right whales to get smaller, and it's making them have fewer babies.

325 million-year-old shark graveyard discovered deep within Mammoth Cave harbors new fossilized species
By Melissa Hobson published
Two new ancient shark species have been uncovered in Mammoth Cave with teeth that "look like they just came out of the shark's mouth yesterday."

'One of the holy grails of shark science': Watch 1st ever footage of baby great white shark moments after birth
By Melissa Hobson published
A newborn great white shark has been seen in the wild for the first time, and the discovery could help scientists finally solve a longstanding mystery about the threatened species.

'You can see its guts and things': Weird see-through crustacean with giant eyes discovered off the Bahamas
By Melissa Hobson published
Scientists have discovered a new species, related to the roly poly bug, that plays an important role in keeping the ocean healthy.

Dolphins are 'literally acting like jerks' by beating up baby manatees
By Melissa Hobson published
Bottlenose dolphins have been observed trying to kill Antillean manatee calves, and researchers don't fully understand what's going on.

Megalodon didn't look like a 50-foot great white shark, controversial study claims
By Melissa Hobson published
Scientists say they have discovered a discrepancy in previous research and suggest megalodons may have been longer and more slender than previously believed — but not everyone is convinced.

Humans now kill 80 million sharks per year, 25 million of which are threatened species
By Melissa Hobson published
Catch data from 2012 to 2019 reveal shark deaths from fishing increased from 76 million to 80 million per year. Researchers stress that more action is needed to save threatened species.
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