CSBR: Natural History: Stabilization and Accessibility of the National Water-Quality Assessment Macroinvertebrate Collection

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

Aquatic insects and other invertebrates that live in rivers and streams help us gauge the quality and health of our Nation's waters. Healthy waters support a higher variety of species and water resource managers use measures of species diversity, along with chemical analyses, to assess whether a body of water is polluted or not. For almost 25 years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected over 1 million aquatic macroinvertebrates from 2,300 streams and rivers across the United States and used these samples to establish baseline reference conditions of water quality. This collection serves as a valuable resource for contemporary information and future research on biodiversity, water quality assessment and management, and aquatic ecology. The collection was donated to the University of Minnesota by the USGS to ensure its continued existence, as it was slated for disposal in spite of its historical and contemporary importance and its excellent condition, diversity of species, and geographic coverage. This award facilitates the addition of this collection to the University's existing insect collection. Also, information associated with the specimens, such as where and when they were collected, will be databased and made available for use by researchers, educators, and the general public. The targeted specimens were originally housed at the USGS facility in Denver, Colorado, prior to their transfer to the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota has demonstrated support and commitment to this project by providing physical space to house the specimens and cabinets for archival storage. This award facilitates goals of the project are now to unpack, reorganize, database, and physically integrate the material into the University of Minnesota Insect Collection. The University will implement a new databasing application, with a user-friendly interface, so that information associated with the specimens can be accessed for research and education. A full-time curatorial associate, assisted by undergraduate students, will carry out most of the work. In addition, a Master's level graduate student will be supported by the project to assist with project management and specimen curation, and will also receive advanced training in collections management, biodiversity assessment, and aquatic insect taxonomy. Results of the project and access to the database will be made available through the University of Minnesota Insect Collection website at http://insectcollection.umn.edu/.