SGER: Mold Remediation in the Tulane University Museum of Natural History

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to Tulane University under the direction of Dr. Henry L. Bart to remediate damage from mold in the fish collection of the Museum of Natural History that occurred after Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans area in 2005. The zoological research collections house several important collections, and fortunately, the collections are stored in World War II vintage storage bunkers that weathered the storm without significant structural damage. However, the air-conditioning systems were put out of commission for several weeks, and mold began growing on the walls and glass jars in the fish collection. The funds will be used to hire two curatorial assistants for a year to remove and box jars, store them in a separate building while the storage bunker is cleaned and repainted, then clean the jars as they are replaced in the renovated facility. Barcoding will make tracking of 5,000 boxes and the specimen jars easy and efficient. The collection is an important research and teaching resource, whose restoration after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina will be important in the recovery of the collection for these uses.