Jill Studholme
A scuba diver for over 40 years with a degree in biology, Jill Studholme has a special interest in marine biology, coral reef conservation and the underwater environment. She edits SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011), the monthly newsletter with articles on diving and marine science.
Survival of Coral Cookies in Zanzibar
What's a coral cookie? It's a fragment of coral attached to a concrete substrate to be planted out in the ocean. ...
House hunting with friends: the life of Dardanus Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs plod about the sea-floor using someone else's shell for a home. They always use empty shells and never kill the...
The little fish that makes predators spit it out
The lined soapfish has an unusual defence against being eaten: it tastes revolting. When threatened, this small Indo-Pacific fish produces a toxic, soapy slime so bitter that any predator bold enough to swallow it immediately spits it out.
6 Things you didn’t know about Blue Spotted Stingrays
Blue spotted stingrays detect prey, mates and predators using electrical signals, and females do this better than males. Some pregnancies last twice as long as others.
8 Fascinating facts about the Snakelocks Anemone
The beautiful snakelocks anemone lives along the west coast of Europe, from Portugal to Scandinavia via the Irish Sea.
All Red Sea Anthias born female, and other fun facts
All Red Sea anthias are born female, and all have the ability to transition into males. As they slowly change sex, they...
Surprising daytime spawning in Thailand corals
Forget the midnight dives—new research reveals that some corals, instead of the normal night spawning, are synchronising their spawning in the...
10 Fascinating facts about puffer fish – the most poisonous fish on the planet
1. They are the most poisonous fish in the sea
The Puffer is harmless, unless eaten. The...
Which tea bags are free of plastic?
Updated 20 February 2026
Most tea companies have made progress about reducing their plastic content since I first covered...
Male-to-female sex change happens first in the brain, in clownfish at least
All clownfish start off as male, but can switch to female when circumstances allow, for example, when the only female present dies...