Computerization of Newly Acquired Tropical and Subtropical Mollusk Collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History

University Of Florida, Gainesville FL

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH, University of Florida) under the direction of Drs. Paulay and Thompson to curate, database, and make available online several important mollusk collections received in the past decade. These include the research collection associated with the curatorial and research staff as well two major relinquished collections from the University of Miami and Tulane University. These collections have been the source of >100 publications, hold >500 primary types, and are in demand by the research and conservation communities as well as by amateur shell enthusiasts. Currently FLMNH has the 7th largest mollusk collection in the US and after the completion of the proposed project will grow to an estimated 420,000 catalogued lots, all available online. In addition, all station data from past FLMNH-based surveys will also be georeferenced, so that at least 150,000 of the lots available online will have associated coordinate data. The collection is already among the largest in the world for Neotropical and Southeast Asian land snails and tropical west Atlantic mollusks. The proposed additions share the emphasis of the existing collection on the regional fauna, as well as Neotropical, Southeast Asian and tropical insular land snails, and reef-associated mollusks. The goals of this project are to properly house, georeference and database the acquired collections to assure their conservation, availability and utility. Approximately 92,300 specimen lots (each comprised of one to many specimens), that have been accessioned but have remained inaccessible to workers, will be curated. Ongoing biodiversity inventories and donations will also be curated. Each lot will be unpacked, housed in archival containers and associated data entered into the collection database, including coordinates of collecting locality, which will be looked up if not indicated on the specimen label. Specimen labels will be generated and each lot housed in the formed collection. Data associated with each lot will also be made available over the internet through FLMNH's web site as well as through international networks such as "The Species Analyst" and "Life Mapper". The greatest significance of this project will be the development of one of the largest biodiversity resources in the world for the Mollusca, the second largest phylum of animals after the Arthropoda. The immediate impact of this project will be a 29% increase in online records at the second largest internet-accessible mollusk database in the world, together with the availability of 150,000 georeferenced lots, potentially the largest georeferenced resource on mollusks. The project will substantially increase the size, availability and utility of FLMNH's already large mollusk holdings. The FLMNH Malacology will become one the largest university-based mollusk collection in the world and the support for curation of the newly acquired collection will act to both attract and train students in systematic malacology and biodiversity studies. The proposed project will involve students to as great an extent as possible as Curatorial Assistants which will afford students the opportunity to engage in curatorial and systematic work while earning a salary, and also exposes them to the workings of an active research group at the museum.