CSBR: Natural History: Preserving and ensuring access to critical biological collections in an emerging museum at the University of Nevada, Reno

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

The state of Nevada, located in the core of the Great Basin, contains a unique flora and fauna, but is also a region under threat by invasive species, water diversions, and other land-use practices. A host of taxa and entire communities are endangered and in decline. The Great Basin, which is high in fish endemism, has experienced 12 fish extinctions in the past 100 years, more than any other region in North America. Eight of these have occurred in Nevada, with seven extinctions endemic to Nevada alone. Almost a third of the remaining ichthyofauna is federally listed. Given the dramatic changes in the region, and those yet to come, museum collections play a significant role in supporting organismal science, providing baseline information about regional biodiversity and chronicling biotic change over decades. The fluid collections at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) are a pivotal resource, ranking among the most extensive holdings of Nevada material and containing irreplaceable specimens of extinct, extirpated, and endangered taxa. Through the opening of public exhibit space, the new Natural History Museum is playing a unique role in biodiversity education in Nevada. Undergraduates, graduates, and alumni are engaged in all aspects of the museum, including hosting K-12 visits and the creation of public displays and outreach content, developed with an eye towards meeting the state's soon-to-be-adopted Next Generation Science Standards. The UNR has recently consolidated the majority of its natural history collections, formerly housed in widely disparate, off-campus locations, into a single, newly-renovated space on-campus. This award supports integration of fluid collections into this resource, making ca. 28,100 herpetological and fish specimens (including extinct and endangered taxa) accessible for researchers and managers. In addition to moving material to a central, on-campus location, specimens will be transferred to new, more appropriate containers, fully catalogued, digitized, and georeferenced for publication through online database portals. Securing, preserving, and ensuring access to these collections will allow research and management communities the ability to reconstruct the evolutionary and ecological history of the Great Basin. Impacts of this project include both scientific and societal benefits, including expansion of an already successful K-12 outreach program, and establishment of a consolidated web presence for both fluid collections and natural history museum. All data resulting from this project will be posted online (http://arctos.database.museum) and shared with iDigBio (https://www.idigbio.org/), ensuring accessibility to researchers and educators.