International Workshop | Mobilising algae: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Algae Herbaria across Space and Time

Museo Botanico di Padova, Orto Botanico - via Orto Botanico, 15, Padova

16.09.2026

Algal herbaria are archives of the living world that preserve not only specimens of algae collected across different periods and locations, but also traces of scientific practices, exchange networks, the circulation of knowledge, and relationships between people and the environment. Originally created primarily for taxonomic and descriptive purposes, they are now recognised as valuable resources for a wide range of research fields, from botany and ecology to the history of science, and from the environmental humanities to mobility studies.

Developed within Claudia Addabbo's research project on the Algae Herbarium of Achille Forti (1878–1937), the workshop aims to bring together scholars from diverse disciplines and professional backgrounds to reflect on algal herbaria as multilayered and complex objects of study. Through Italian and international case studies, it will address topics such as the formation of collections, the circulation of specimens and knowledge, digitisation, conservation, and the enhancement of algological museum heritage.

Particular attention will be given to algal herbaria as sites of encounter between the sciences and the humanities, offering new perspectives on relationships between humans, algae, and the environment, as well as on the production, circulation, and reactivation of knowledge over time.

Participation is free. Registration is required: bit.ly/prospettive-erbari-alghe.

Organizer: Claudia Addabbo (claudia.addabbo@unipd.it)