(a species of owlet moth (Noctuid)) Some caterpillars, after they emerge from their egg, can increase their weight by 25,000 times.

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UK biodiversity research projects

Over 350 Museum scientists study the natural world and the way living things are classified, a process called taxonomy. This gives them a picture of the biodiversity of the UK, both now and in the past. Without this information, they would not be able to measure how biodiversity changes in the future.

Recent projects have produced databases and identification keys to British creatures as diverse as Planktonic ostracods in British coastal waters, Nematode worms in Loch Ness, and bumblebees, along with many more.

  • Gloucocystis nostochinearum
    AlgaeVision

    Find out about the algae database and search for information, images and references about individual algae.

  • Amateur bryologists carrying out fieldwork
    Amateurs as experts

    How do amateur naturalists contribute to the UK's biodiversity policy, and how can their knowledge best be used to help biodiversity research?

  • Acidia cognata larva mining a Tussilago farfara leaf.
    British insect miners

    Over 900 British insects are known to mine leaves and stems.  Find out how they can be identified by looking at the host plants where they leave these mines.

  • Female Hystrichopsylla talpae talpae, the mole flea.
    Distribution of British fleas

    Find out about the 62 species of flea that have so far been found in the British Isles and about the species that host them.  

  • British bumblebee showing colour pattern
    Identify British bumblebees

    Identify British bumblebee species by looking at the colour patterns of their body hair, using this three-step key.

  • Dorsal view of female conchoecia magna-hyalophyllum
    Atlas of Atlantic Planktonic Ostracods

    Planktonic ostracods occur throughout the world's oceans.  Find out about the species that are found in the Atlantic Ocean, and the environments they inhabit.

  • A nematode worm that lives in the mud at the bottom of Loch Ness
    Loch Ness worms

    Research on Nematode worms can be used to compare levels of pollution in the clear waters of Loch Ness with the waters of other European lakes.   

  • Model of a mother blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, with a calf
    The National Whale Stranding Recording Scheme

    The Museum has been monitoring whale strandings since 1913.  Find out the procedure to follow when a stranding occurs.

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Cartoon image of a hatchet fish on a museum pass

In World War II the Museum was used as a secret base to develop new gadgets for allied spies, including an exploding rat!

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