CSBR: Natural History: Augmentation of the HBOI Marine Biotechnology Reference Collection to Enhance Accessibility and Use by a Broader Scientific Community

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The oceans, covering over 70% of our planet, are one of Earth's last frontiers. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has a long history of exploring the ocean biodiversity. These efforts have produced a unique collection of specimens designated as the Marine Biotechnology Reference Collection (MBRC). The MBRC is a taxonomically and geographically diverse collection of more than 31,500 preserved benthic marine invertebrates and macroalgae (seaweeds). This collection is unique in that nearly 30% of the samples were selectively collected by the manned Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles at depths of more than 150 m, from locations that are otherwise difficult to access by trawling or dredging due to rugged topography or reef habitats. Collection by submersible means that these specimens are relatively intact compared to those traditionally collected with trawl or dredge. This collection is also unique in that it includes in situ photographs and videotapes. Collections that were made over a period of 30 years or more provides an opportunity to study changes over time. Research on the specimens, data, images, and videos has already contributed to a better understanding of evolutionary biology, ecology, characterization of marine habitats, and resource management, and has been vital to HBOI's drug discovery program. A goal of this project is to provide the scientific community access to these unique samples and accompanying data. The excellent condition of the specimens makes them useful for molecular analyses, and the videos provide important data to characterize poorly known marine habitats, some of which support commercially and recreationally important fish and invertebrate species. An outcome of the project will be a web-accessible version of the collection database, including photos and annotated video clips, for use by researchers, students and the general public worldwide. The collection consists of a complete set of fully digitized dive logs and specimen photographs and thousands of hours of video recordings. Collection data will be verified for accuracy. Specimens will be barcode labeled for ease in accessing; they are currently organized by collection date in a temperature-controlled environment. Digitized videotapes will be annotated and linked to the specimen database. Links to the specimen database will ensure that the complete set of data - specimens, field notes, collection data, photographic images, and videos - can be made publicly available on-line. Results of this project will be shared and made available to researchers, resource managers, students, and the public through the HBOI-FAU website and through iDigBio. Digitizing the MBRC and publishing the data on the web will expand the availability and impact of the collection beyond the limitations of an internal, static repository, and will promote teaching, training, and learning in basic and interdisciplinary research in a variety of STEM fields.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.