Computerization of Mollusk Collections of the Western North Atlantic of the Academy of Natural Sciences

费城自然科学院（ANSP）最近的软体动物收藏是美国最古老的软体动物收藏，也是世界上第二大的软体动物收藏。它目前有43万多件已编目的物品，其中约有1200万件标本，其中3万至3.5万件保存在酒精中，为解剖学和遗传学研究提供了极好的材料。该学院几乎拥有来自世界各地的标本；对于来自热带印度洋-太平洋的浅水海洋软体动物来说，它是无与伦比的。其他优势是大西洋西部的浅水海洋软体动物，以及世界各地的淡水和陆地软体动物。许多陆地和淡水软体动物现在都濒临灭绝。在过去的五年中，共借出近300件标本，总计4万多件标本，并有200多篇科学论文承认使用了馆藏资源。该奖项为西大西洋海洋软体动物收集的计算机化提供支持，其中包括对估计有50,000批北美淡水软体动物和45,000批西大西洋海洋软体动物的计算机化，这将有助于确定物种历史分布模式的变化。目前这类信息很少，但不仅是对软体动物进行基本系统和生态研究的科学家所需要的，而且是为监测北美重要的湖泊、河流、河口和沿海生态系统的健康状况提供基线数据所需要的。

The recent mollusk collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) is the oldest mollusk collection in the country, and the second largest catalogued one in the world. It currently has more than 430,000 catalogued lots containing about 12 million specimens, including 30,000-35,000 lots preserved in alcohol that provide excellent material for anatomical and genetic studies. The Academy has specimens from virtually all parts of the world; it is unrivaled for shallow-water marines mollusks from the tropical Indo-Pacific. Other strengths are shallow-water Western Atlantic marine mollusks, and worldwide freshwater and land mollusks. Many of the land and freshwater mollusks are species now endangered or extinct. In the past five years, almost 300 loans totaling more than 40,00 specimens have been made, and more than 200 scientific articles have acknowledged use of collection resources. This award provides support for computerizing the collection of Western Atlantic marine mollusks includes computerization of the estimated 50,000 lots of North American freshwat er mollusks and 45, 000 lots of Western Atlantic marine mollusks will help in determining changes in the historical distribution patterns of species. Little such information is currently available, but is needed not only by scientists conducting basic systematic and ecological research on mollusks, but to provide baseline data for monitoring the health of important North American ecosystems in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and along seacoasts.