Incorporation and Improvement of Collections of Marine Invertebrates into the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

尽管人们对全球生物多样性的兴趣和关注日益增加，但近年来，许多珍贵的海洋无脊椎动物（甲壳类动物、棘皮动物、海洋蠕虫、软体动物和其他动物）却成了“孤儿”。该项目将为捐赠给洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆的几个现有的和多样化的海洋无脊椎动物收藏提供资金。新的书架将安装在现有的轨道上，并将购买照顾这些收藏品所需的用品。此外，博物馆的海洋生物多样性处理中心将雇用两个人来帮助分类、策划和升级藏品。该项目更广泛的科学意义在于，这些收藏品和其他类似的收藏品代表了西海岸历史上海洋多样性的窗口。在某些情况下，收藏的标本来自于已经无法进入的地区。这些标本为我们了解过去和现在的海洋生物多样性奠定了基础，是太平洋沿岸海洋生物无价的数据宝库。从这些藏品中收集到的知识可以为强有力的教育计划和在保护和资源管理方面做出明智的决策奠定基础。

Despite a growing interest in, and concern over, global biodiversity, many priceless collections of marine invertebrates (crustaceans, echinoderms, marine worms, molluscs, and other groups) have become "orphaned" in recent years. This project will provide funds to care for several existing and diverse collections of marine invertebrates that have been donated to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. New shelving will be installed on existing tracks, and supplies needed to care for these collections will be purchased. Additionally, two persons will be hired in the Museum's Marine Biodiversity Processing Center to help sort, curate, and upgrade the collections. The broader scientific significance of the project is that these collections, and others like them, represent windows into historical marine diversity along the west coast. In some cases, the collections contain specimens from areas that are no longer accessible. Such collections form the basis for what we understand about marine biodiversity, past and present, and represent priceless storehouses of data on Pacific coast marine life. Knowledge gleaned from these collections can form the basis for strong educational programs and for making sound decisions in conservation and resource management.