Support for Compactors for the LACM Invertebrates Collection

南加州大学(USC)艾伦·汉考克基金会(AHF)的多毛类收藏于1988年捐赠给洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆(LACM)。该保护区是美国西部同类种群中规模最大的，也是美国第二大种群，拥有世界上最广泛的东太平洋多毛类种群，但在总覆盖面上是国际化的。在这次收购之后，LACM于1988年聘请了一名多毛类收集经理，并于1990年聘请了一名馆长。除了南加州大学1992年捐赠给LACM的一小批湿润的海绵、扁形蠕虫、新月虫和被囊动物外，这些多毛类和工作人员仍然被安置在南加州大学校园里极其拥挤的条件下。作为对这些收藏品和人员的承诺的一部分，LACM目前正在为多毛类工作人员建造办公室/研究空间，并完全改建一层宽敞的房间，专门为多毛类和杂项无脊椎动物收藏品提供压实机和栏杆。通过利用压实机的这种收集空间，可以充分减少区域存储容量，允许多毛类收集的充分增长。该项目将支持为该空间设计的所有压路机轨道、车厢和货架的购买和安装。%这类收藏不仅作为主要研究工作的资源，而且对于广泛的其他活动也是基本重要的。例如，标本及其目录是环境影响评估的基本资源。此外，这些藏品提供了宝贵的展览和教育机会，吸引了所有层次的应用程序。

The University of Southern California's (USC) Allan Hancock Foundation (AHF) polychaete collection was donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (LACM) in 1988. The collection is the largest of its kind in the western United States and second largest in the country, maintaining the most extensive holdings in eastern Pacific polychaetes in the world, yet is cosmopolitan in its total coverage. Following this acquisition, the LACM hired a polychaete collection manager in 1988 and a curator in 1990. Along with a small wet collection of sponges, platyhelminths, nemerteans, and tunicates donated to LACM in 1992 by USC, the polychaete collection and staff are still housed on the USC campus under extremely crowded conditions. As part of its commitment to these collections and personnel, the LACM is presently constructing office/research space for the polychaete staff, and completely remodelling an expansive ground floor room to specifically accommodate compactors and rails for the polychaete and miscellaneous invertebrates collections. With this collection space utilizing compactors, the areas storage capacity can be fully minimized, allowing ample growth of the polychaete collection. This project will support the purchase and installation of all compactor rails, carriages, and shelves designed for this space. %%% Collections of this sort are fundamentally important not only as resources for primary research endeavors but also for a broad spectrum of other activities. For example, specimens and their catalogues are essential resources for environmental impact assessment. As well these collections provide valuable exhibit and educational opportunities with appeal to all levels of application.