HMS Challenger Planktonic Foraminifera Microscopy Images from Ocean Sediments

Microscopy images of planktonic foraminifera specimens from the HMS Challenger expedition's Ocean Bottom Deposit collection, held at the Natural History Museum, London. The 11.1 GB dataset includes TIF and JPG files, created by Joanne Berry-Frith and last updated in May 2026. The project combined scientific re-examination with creative practice to explore shell morphology and preservation.

Use Cases

• Analyzing shell morphology and preservation state based on high-magnification electron microscopy images.
• Studying specimen variability within historical collections to address inconsistencies in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.
• Developing design-led imaging and visualization methods for reinterpreting scientific data as cultural artefacts.

Strengths

• Dataset size is 11.1 GB, indicating a substantial collection of high-resolution images.
• Imaging was performed using a ZEISS UltraPlus microscope, suggesting high detail.
• Focuses on the historically significant HMS Challenger expedition collection, an unparalleled pre-industrial archive.

Limitations

• Row count and specific column-level metadata are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• The primary focus is on historical specimens; contemporary samples from 2025 were noted to lack sufficient structural detail.

Provenance

Source

Natural History Museum, London (HMS Challenger Ocean Bottom Deposit collection).

Collection Method

Specimens subsampled and described by Dr Giles Miller; imaging via ZEISS UltraPlus microscope.

Time Range

Historical specimens from the 1870s HMS Challenger expedition; some contemporary samples from 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-18 10:16:17.

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean (sites 6.13, 121.1, 249.12, 288.1, 417.1, M408, and diatom-rich sediments).