Diatoms

Our active diatom research collection continues to expand through new sampling for monitoring surveys, vouchers for life cycle studies, DNA barcoding and speciation research.

Important Historical Collections

We hold one of the most comprehensive collections of slides and unmounted material from Professor G.A. Walker Arnott including the original 'top' set of his slides and those he acquired through correspondence with other mid-19th century diatomists. Many of the slides are isotypes for species described by British diatomists in the 1850s. We also hold Walker Arnott's annotated copy of William Smith's Synopsis of British Diatomaceae.

  • William Gregory (1803-1858)
  • Robert Kaye Greville (1794-1866)
  • William Smith (1853-1856)
  • Tempére & Peragallo (1907-1915)

 Other Resources

  • Petri dishes – used as an experimental method of storage and for dried clonal cultures
  • SEM stubs - Mostly originate from RBGE but some were brought here from the Natural History Museum, London
  • Photographs - Complementing the diatom herbarium collection are the reprint collections and entire photographic archives of over 30,000 negatives of Frank Round and David Mann.

Major Collections

  • M. Anderson
  • John R. Carter (1908-1993)
  • Stephen Droop
  • R.I. Firth (1902-1980)
  • Theresa Gow
  • William Gregory (1803-1858)
  • Bernard Hartley (1917-2007)
  • Martyn Kelly
  • Professor David Mann (1953-)
  • Professor Frank Round, University of Bristol (1927-)
  • William Smith (1853-1856)
  • Tempere & Peragallo (1907-1915)
  • G.A. Walker-Arnott (1799-1868)
  • Glasgow University Botany Department
  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) - RBGE is the official repository for SEPA vouchers. Mainly collected during monitoring work. The material is in various formats: unprepared and prepared tubes, and slides
  • University College London (UCL)
  • University Marine Biological Station Millport slide collection