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

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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.