Improvements to the Auburn University Aquatic Invertebrate, Fish, and Amphibian and Reptile Collections

Auburn University, Auburn AL

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to Auburn University to fund critically needed improvements to the Auburn University Natural History Learning Center's (AUNHLC) aquatic invertebrate, fish, and amphibian and reptile collections under the direction of Drs. Armbruster, Feminella and Guyer. The museum collections housed in AUNHLC describe one of the world's hotbeds of biological diversity. Alabama is among the most important states in terms of biodiversity, and, unfortunately, is one of the most imperiled. Because collections at Auburn University document the rich history of these diverse temperate ecosystems, these collections are particularly important for regional conservation planning. This proposal is designed to fund improvements to the aquatic invertebrate, fish, and amphibian and reptile collections at Auburn University. The fish collection is one of the largest in the southeastern United States and it exhibits a growth rate that is far in excess of the nationwide average. It was ranked as an important collection by Poss and Collette (1996). The collection currently has specimens from around the world, but has its strongest representation in the southeastern United States. The amphibian and reptile collection at Auburn is the premier herpetofaunal collection from Alabama and has significant holdings from surrounding regions. The amphibian and reptile collection has been used extensively, particularly in the production of field guides such as "The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama" (Mount, 1975), an acclaimed regional guide. The aquatic invertebrate collection has the greatest rate of growth of any of the collections at Auburn University through research efforts of the staff and adoption of orphaned collections. Growth is particularly strong in mollusks, which includes significant holdings of threatened, endangered, and extinct freshwater mussels and terrestrial snails. Alabama has a tremendous diversity of molluscs, but until recent efforts at Auburn, Alabama has lacked a place in the state to house specimens. In addition to molluscs, the aquatic invertebrate collection also contains specimens of may other taxa including insects, oligochaetes, and crustaceans. Currently, the museum is enjoying the most productive period in its history. The university has laid out an ambitious plan to provide a more permanent home for the collections. To achieve this goal, the institution has pledged monetary support for the day-to-day operations of the collections, and financial resources for collection personnel following the initial funding provided by this grant. This funding will include money for a second collection manager, a fulltime technician for one year, and for graduate research assistants to accomplish the goals of this study. In addition, support is provided for shelving and casework for the aquatic invertebrate, fish, and amphibian and reptile collections and incorporation of backlog materials, reorganization of the collections, and transfer of specimens from isopropanol to ethanol so that the collections are standardized. The greatest part of the funding is for the personnel that are essential for the completion of this project. Museum collections are our only means of recording the biodiversity of an area and saving it for future generations. As areas become increasingly impacted by human development, collections become correspondingly more important in describing historical distributions, suggesting what might have caused species extirpations, and providing insight into how degraded ecosystems might be restored. The collections at Auburn are active in releasing collection records on the internet, and several web-based projects (such as internet-based species keys) are underway to expose and educate people about global as well as local biodiversity.