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与日俱增，但近年来，许多无价的海洋无脊椎动物(甲壳类、棘皮类、海洋蠕虫、软体动物和其他群体)已成为“孤儿”。该项目将提供资金，以保护已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品。新的架子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聘请两名人员帮助分类、管理和升级收藏品。该项目的更广泛的科学意义在于，这些收集以及其他类似的收集，代表了了解西海岸历史上海洋多样性的窗口。在某些情况下，这些收藏包含来自不再可访问的地区的标本。这些收集构成了我们了解海洋生物多样性的基础，无论是过去还是现在，都是太平洋沿岸海洋生物数据的无价宝库。从这些收藏中收集的知识可以构成强有力的教育计划的基础，并在保护和资源管理方面做出合理的决策。

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.