In Memory of Michael Thurston

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Emeritus Fellow Michael Thurston, who passed away on 31 December 2025.

Mike Thurston was a dedicated scientist and valued Emeritus Fellow at NOC and continued to research and publish up to the present day. He leaves a legacy of research on the taxonomy of amphipods and deep-sea biodiversity, which is a fitting tribute to his life and work.

Professor Daniel Jones, Biodiversity Mission Network Lead at NOC, said: “Mike was always a friendly, supportive and enthusiastic presence at NOC. He contributed so much to NOC as an organisation, our team and to marine biodiversity science through his unique and fascinating work, particularly on deep-sea crustaceans. He will be greatly missed but his legacy will be long lasting.”

Throughout his career, continuing long after his retirement in 1997, Mike’s work focussed on a group of small crustaceans, known as amphipods. Mike described more than 75 new taxa. He concentrated on several different amphipod groups, the scavenging species being a particular favourite.

His meticulous attention to detail meant his work was very well-regarded by his peers. There are eight different taxa named in his honour, including five species, one genus (Thurstonella Lowry & Zeidler, 2008) and a family of amphipods, the Thurstonellidae.

In 1968, Mike embarked on a 29-year career at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), (later the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (IOS) and Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC)).

Mike Thurston, pictured at Wormley with an epibenthic sledge

A Leading Figure in Deep-sea Research

Mike’s work evolved from pelagic studies to benthic biology, and he became a leading figure in deep-sea research.

He participated in more than 50 research expeditions and played a key role in major programmes investigating Atlantic deep-sea ecosystems. His meticulous studies of scavenging amphipods at abyssal depths revolutionised understanding of necrophagous communities and their ecological roles.

Mike was also deeply committed to the stewardship of biological collections. Following a major reorganisation at IOS in 1989, he assumed responsibility for the extensive Discovery Collections, ensuring their preservation during the move to Southampton as well as overseeing transfers of a large part of the material to the Natural History Museum. Today, the Discovery Collections remain a vital resource for global deep-sea research.

Mike onboard the RRS James Cook before it set sail for the 40th anniversary PAP expedition in 2025

A Lasting Legacy
Following his formal retirement in 1997, he remained active as an Honorary/Emeritus Research Fellow at NOC, publishing and mentoring until late 2025.

Since 2001, Mike collaborated closely with Dr. Tammy Horton, conducting research on scavenging amphipods at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain and inspiring a new generation of taxonomists (see here), resulting in more new species, taxonomic revisions and time series studies.

Mike will be greatly missed by all who knew him and worked with him. His legacy endures in the numerous species he described, the collections he safeguarded, and the new generations of scientists he inspired. He will be remembered not only for his scientific work but for his kindness, humility, and unwavering curiosity about the natural world.

Dr Tammy Horton and Mike Thurston pictured together

Dr Tammy Horton, Research Scientist and Manager of the Discovery Collections at NOC said: “Mike became my mentor when I first started at NOC and, over the last 25 years, we became not just colleagues but great friends.

“He was an excellent taxonomist, and taught me so much about amphipods and much more besides. His research legacy will live long in the amphipod literature, and I will remember him particularly fondly as I continue the research that we began together.”

To celebrate and honour his significant contribution to the global marine science community, his colleagues at NOC have compiled a downloadable tribute to Mike’s life in science. 

An audio oral history recorded with Mike is also available here.