Seaweed Collections Online

Our seaweed collection has become a lot more accessible to the public for research and learning. Selected seaweeds from our collection are now available on the Seaweed Collections Online Website as part of a project in collaboration with other UK museums and herbaria.

The project is a collaboration between museums and botanic gardens from all over the UK, bringing together their seaweed collections into one virtual space. Here at Amgueddfa Cymru, we have been taking images of each specimen so that the public can view them in detail online, along with their associated data. Initially, over 600 specimens will be accessible, with more added as new specimens enter the collection.

Each seaweed specimen is a piece of evidence that shows that a species was at a particular place, at a particular point in time. Combining the data from all UK specimens creates a powerful tool for research, for example to track changes in species distributions. Species chosen for the project include non-natives, indicators of environment change, large brown seaweeds, and those of conservation concern.

Data is searchable via name, date, collector, locality etc., and you can browse images in the media gallery. People wishing to view the actual specimen will be able to find out the institution holding it, to arrange a loan or visit.

The recently acquired Eifion Jones & Margaret Martin collection has 120 specimens represented online. This 1,000-specimen collection, as well as recent collections made by staff at Amgueddfa Cymru, has helped to strengthen the Welsh content of the herbarium.

Further details about our algal and seaweed collections are on our website. You may also want to read the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Manchester Museum articles about the Seaweed Collections Online project.

Blog post by Kath Slade, Botany Curator