Flustra foliacea fronds
Principal Investigators
Focus: contributing to the understanding of bryozoans that live around the British Isles
We are extending our knowledge of bryozoans that live around the British Isles, and increasing public awareness of this enigmatic group of creatures.
Despite being one of the most-studied bryozoan sites, the north-east Atlantic Ocean around the British Isles still holds many mysteries.
The bryozoans that live there are difficult to pin down taxonomically and little is known about some groups. Our research assesses patterns of British bryozoan biodiversity over time and space using new and historical collections.
We are contributing to the Bryozoa of the British Isles scratchpad, an open online resource for people to discover and contribute to knowledge of our native bryozoans.
Understanding bryozoan lifestyles is important since they are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances, which include:
- introduction of non-native species
- ocean acidification
- trawling
- pollution
- sedimentation
Museum staff
Collaborators
- Jennifer Loxton
University of the Highlands and Islands/MERIKA post doctoral research associate - Dr Patrick Wyse Jackson
Trinity College, Dublin - Antoinette Kelso
Trinity College, Dublin/PhD student - Sally Rouse
Heriot-Watt University/SAMS PhD student
Related information
Supported by
Biodiversity research
We are creating molecular and digital tools to explore undiscovered biodiversity
Invertebrate research
Our scientists are investigating the taxonomy, systematics and biodiversity of groups of invertebrates
Zoology collections
Our zoology collection has 29 million animal specimens and is rich in voucher, type and historical specimens