Renovation of the Ichthyology Collection and Associated Facilities at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。在其56年的历史中，弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（VIMS）的鱼类学收藏已经从一个未编目的教学收藏发展成为弗吉尼亚州最大的淡水、切萨皮克湾、沿海和深海鱼类资源库之一（http://web.vims.edu/ich_coll.html?svr=www）。共同首席检察官希尔顿和萨顿概述了一系列旨在保护馆藏标本并使其更容易为科学界所用的翻新工程。计划对收藏空间进行的实际翻修，包括建造一个夹层和升级与收藏有关的设备，将提高收藏的效率，并将为收藏提供大量的扩展空间。升级到数字x射线系统将增加世界各地同事获得标本的机会。冷冻组织设施的发展将确保VIMS组织收集的长期生存能力。这些翻新将增加VIMS研究人员、外部研究人员和公众对这些藏品的使用。作为一个机构，VIMS有一个独特的三重使命，包括研究、教育和咨询服务，鱼类学收藏是这一使命的一个组成部分，为广泛的基础和应用研究科学家和渔业管理者服务。希尔顿和萨顿将利用这项提议的资金，培训一名藏品管理方面的研究生，并监督其他学生和从事藏品工作的公共志愿者。每年有超过600名公众成员参观VIMS鱼类学收藏，希尔顿和萨顿概述了对广受欢迎的VIMS腔棘鱼展览进行翻新的计划，其中包括使其更容易接近和吸引人。作为展览的一部分，VIMS的鱼类学收藏也将被重点展示，以向参观者介绍自然历史收藏和基于标本的研究在VIMS等机构的使命中所起的重要作用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Through its 56-year history, the Ichthyology Collection (at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has grown from an un-cataloged teaching collection to become one of the largest repositories for freshwater, Chesapeake Bay, coastal, and deep-sea fishes in Virginia (http://web.vims.edu/ich_coll.html?svr=www). Co-PIs Hilton and Sutton have outlined a series of renovations aimed at safeguarding the specimens contained in the collection and making them more accessible to the scientific community. The planned physical renovations of collection space, including construction of a mezzanine and upgrading collections-related equipment, will improve the efficiency of the collection and will permit significant expansion space for the collections. Upgrading to a digital x-ray system will increase the availability of specimens to colleagues throughout the world. The development of a frozen tissue facility will ensure the long-term viability of the growing VIMS tissue collection. These renovations will increase the use of the collection by VIMS researchers, outside researchers, and in public outreach.As an institution, VIMS has a unique three-partite mission, which includes research, education, and advisory service, and the Ichthyology Collection is an integral part of this mission, serving a broad community of basic and applied research scientists and fisheries managers. With funds from this proposal, Hilton and Sutton will train a graduate student in collections management, and will oversee other students and public volunteers working in the collection. Over 600 members of the public visit the VIMS Ichthyology Collection each year, and Hilton and Sutton have outlined plans for the renovation of the popular VIMS coelacanth display, which will include make it more accessible and attractive. As part of this display, the VIMS Ichthyology Collection generally will also be highlighted in order to introduce visitors to the important role that natural history collections and specimen-based research play in the mission of institutions such as VIMS.