Expanding Access and Storage for the Borderland Biological Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso

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The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Biodiversity Collection houses natural history specimens of global significance representing the Chihuahuan Desert, and one of the largest collections in the western hemisphere of amphibian and reptile specimens from Central Africa. The data associated with the UTEP Biodiversity Collection informs policy, education, and scientific research addressing pressing societal issues, such as emerging diseases, climate change, and conservation. The proper stewardship of biological collections is critical for ensuring access to these important research and educational materials for a global audience. This project will replace deteriorating cabinets with new storage systems to improve access, specimen conditions, and enable expansion. The project will preserve the biodiversity heritage of several important regions, including the Chihuahuan Desert, Central Africa, and Southwestern Australia. In addition, training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students, at a major Hispanic serving institution, who will assist with the transfer and reorganization of these collections, gaining skills in museum science, systematics, and science communication.This capacity improvement project will address space limitation in the herbarium, housing more than 82,000 specimens, and the herpetology collections, with more than 21,000 specimens, to make new specimen processing possible. Compactor systems will be installed for these collections, which will be reorganized following current taxonomic knowledge and best practices. Specimens will be re-curated to improve the storage and specimen conditions as they are transferred. An object tracking system, independent of taxonomy, will be implemented to facilitate specimen monitoring, process loan requests more quickly, and increase accessibility for both research and education. The project will also improve lab space and facilitate access to the collections for additional faculty in a rapidly growing biology department. Finally, a museum exhibit and outreach displays will celebrate the completion of this project by focusing on showcasing collection strengths in several biodiversity hotspots (Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands, Eastern Afromontane, and Southwest Australia).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.