The genus … See more

Specimens were collected by scuba diving around Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. Sponges were selected by eye: the divers attempted to sample species that looked different fro… See more

The specimens were collected as part of a study of the sponge biodiversity of Rathlin Island, a small island 10 km off the north coast of Northern Ireland. It is characterized by very stro… See more

Six new species of Hymedesmia were recorded from the survey. Further specimens were obtained of three rarely recorded species: Hymedesmia peachiiBow… See more

There are several factors that may account for the number of new species discovered on Rathlin. Firstly, the richness of the community sampled: the Rathlin Island study site h… See more

The ‘Sponge Biodiversity of Rathlin Island Project’ was part funded by European Union strategic funds from the EU Building Sustainable Prosperity programme. Subsequen… See more