Developing Resources for Research on Mollusks by Renovating Collection at Carnegie Museum of Natural History

对软体动物的研究依赖于长期获得馆藏，例如卡内基自然历史博物馆（CMNH）软体动物科的藏品。该项目将通过改善这一研究收藏的储存，大大提高目前和未来的访问。为了改善储存，该项目将把标本从目前危险的条件下，造成正常的酸性废气从木制柜，到更容易访问的档案金属储存柜与档案标本盒。该项目将增加收集和相关标本数据的当前和未来可用性，以支持联邦、州和地方各级生物多样性保护组织和机构基于收集的研究。该项目将通过使标本更容易地提供给以科学为基础的公共外展计划，包括图尔斯，展览和与其他博物馆组成部分的合作活动，来增加公众教育。该项目将教育和培训志愿者和本科工读生，他们可能包括代表性不足的群体（PI的7年跟踪记录显示，142名志愿者中有20%来自代表性不足的少数民族或种族群体，7%有残疾）。CMNH的软体动物收藏是具有国际意义的主要资源，是阿巴拉契亚北方最大的非海洋软体动物收藏，也是五大淡水贻贝收藏之一。历史意义重大，收藏券研究已有100多年。最近收集使用的例子包括分子和形态系统研究（包括五个学生），环境监测，贻贝测量员培训，博物馆展览。任何对北美软体动物的深入研究都会提到这个集合。关于CMNH软体动物收藏的信息可以在http://www.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/collection.htm上找到。

Research on mollusks relies on long-term access to collections such as those maintained by the Section of Mollusks at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH). This project will significantly enhance present and future access by improving storage of this research collection. To improve storage, this project will move specimens from current perilous conditions, caused by normal acidic off-gassing from wooden cabinets, into more accessible archival metal storage cabinets with archival specimen boxes. This project will increase the present and future availability of the collection and associated specimen data to support collection-based research by biodiversity conservation organizations and agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. This project will increase public education by making specimens more readily available to science-based public outreach programs, including tours, exhibits, and collaborative activities with other museum components. The project will educate and train volunteers and undergraduate work-study students, who are likely to include members of underrepresented groups (the PI's 7-year track record shows that 20% of 142 volunteers have been from underrepresented minority or ethnic groups, and 7% have had disabilities). The mollusk collection at CMNH is a major resource of international significance, being the largest collection of northern Appalachian non-marine mollusks and one of the top five freshwater mussel collections. Historically significant, the collection vouchers 100 years of research. Examples of recent collection use include molecular and morphological systematic studies (including five by students), environmental monitoring, training for mussel surveyors, and museum exhibits. Any thorough study of North American mollusks would refer to this collection. Information on the CMNH Collection of Mollusks can be found at http://www.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/collection.htm.