Find a specimen
The collections are being digitised and are accessible via the Data Portal.
Porifera collections
The extensive Porifera collections are of international importance, containing an estimated 50-70% of the world’s type material.
Dry specimens
35,000
Wet specimens
66,000
Slide preparations
45,000
Collection strengths
- Antarctic and Australian material.
- Deep-sea material.
Important historical collections
- James Scott Bowerbank collection
- Maurice Burton collection
- Henry John Carter collection
- L.R. Crawshay collection
- Cyril Crossland collection
- Arthur Dendy collection
- Duschaissaing and Michellotti type series
- J.D. Gilchrist collection
- Robert von Lendenfeld collection
- Alfred Merle Norman collection
- Edward Potts collection (freshwater sponges)
- Charles Darwin's Beagle sponges
Expedition material
- HMS Challenger (global oceanographic mission 1872-1876)
- HMS Discovery (Antarctic Investigations 1925-1928)
- HMS Porcupine (UK waters 186-1870)
- HMS Beagle (global expedition 1831-1836)
- Terra Nova Expedition (Antarctica 1910-1913)
- Terra Nova non-Antarctic expeditions
- HMS Sealark Expedition (1905)
- Siboga Expedition (1899-1900)
- RRS Shackleton (Antarctic 1955-1952)
- RV Sarsia
- Cook Bicentenary Expedition
- Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. 1929-1931)
- John Murray Arabian Sea Expedition (1933-1934)
Curator
Principal Curator in Charge, Invertebrates (non-insects)
Contact the curator
If you have any questions or would like to use specimens for research, please get in touch.
Specialist reference library
Porifera section library
Learn more about the collections
Accessing the collections
Find out how to arrange a visit to the collections and access specimens for research.
Collections management
Find out how we fulfil our duty to provide a safe and secure environment for the collections in our care.
Collections on the move
Discover how we are preparing for the UK’s largest collections move and which collections will have limited access.