Mr Edgley Cesar

I am a biologist with interests in plant taxonomy and nomenclature, collections management and digitisation.

The main responsibilities of my role are the curation, conservation and digitisation of the Diatoms Collections at the Natural History Museum. It also involves providing access to visiting scientists, processing loans requests and acquisitions and dealing with enquiries.

The NHM houses one of the largest and most important collections of diatoms worldwide. It is rich in types and specimens of historical and scientific significance; has a global representation of specimens and is temporarily important. It comprises circa 300,000 items, including microscope slides, bottles and vials with wet raw samples, dried specimens on mica, fossilized material (diatomite), SEM stubs and several forms of associated documentation.

I also support the work of the curators of lichens and bryophytes on the daily management of their collections.