Support for Computerization and Expansion of Ichthyology Collection of the Field Museum of Natural History

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The Ichthyological Collection of the Field Museum of Natural History is one of the five most important fish collections in the western hemisphere. These reference collections are invaluable resources for systematists, ecologists, biogeographers, and a variety of researchers interested in fishes. Dr. Barry Chernoff, Curator of the collection, plans an aggressive program of expansion and improvement for the collections. New storage areas will be added and equipped with shelving systems. The collection will be reorganized during transfer to the new storage areas, making them more accessible to visiting researchers. Data entry of specimen information into a computerized database will also increase the collection's research impact. Natural history collections such as this provide the foundation on which generations of biological research can be built. Well curated collections allow direct study of the effects of changing climate and land use, and provide the only record left by extinct species. Continued growth and improvement of these collections serves the current research community, and provides critical resources for future researchers.