Developing Resources for Research on Mollusks by Renovating Collection at Carnegie Museum of Natural History

对软体动物的研究依赖于长期获得收藏品，例如由卡内基自然历史博物馆(CMNH)软体动物部维护的收藏品。该项目将通过改进这一研究收藏的存储，大大加强目前和未来的获取。为了改善存储，该项目将把标本从目前的危险条件下转移到更容易进入的带有档案标本盒的档案金属储存柜中。该项目将增加目前和未来收集和相关标本数据的可用性，以支持联邦、州和地方各级的生物多样性保护组织和机构基于收集的研究。该项目将通过使标本更容易地提供给以科学为基础的公共推广计划来增加公共教育，包括参观、展览和与其他博物馆组成部分的合作活动。该项目将教育和培训志愿者和本科生勤工俭学学生，他们可能包括代表人数不足的群体的成员(国际志愿者协会7年的记录显示，142名志愿者中有20%来自代表不足的少数民族或族裔群体，7%患有残疾)。CMNH的软体动物收藏是具有国际意义的主要资源，是阿巴拉契亚北部非海洋软体动物的最大收藏，也是五大淡水贻贝收藏之一。历史意义重大，收藏代金券已有100多年的研究历史。最近收藏品使用的例子包括分子和形态系统研究(包括学生的五项)、环境监测、贻贝测量员培训和博物馆展品。任何对北美软体动物的彻底研究都会参考这个集合。有关CMNH软体动物收藏的信息，请访问http://www.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/collection.htm.

Research on mollusks relies on long-term access to collections such as those maintained by the Section of Mollusks at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH). This project will significantly enhance present and future access by improving storage of this research collection. To improve storage, this project will move specimens from current perilous conditions, caused by normal acidic off-gassing from wooden cabinets, into more accessible archival metal storage cabinets with archival specimen boxes. This project will increase the present and future availability of the collection and associated specimen data to support collection-based research by biodiversity conservation organizations and agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. This project will increase public education by making specimens more readily available to science-based public outreach programs, including tours, exhibits, and collaborative activities with other museum components. The project will educate and train volunteers and undergraduate work-study students, who are likely to include members of underrepresented groups (the PI's 7-year track record shows that 20% of 142 volunteers have been from underrepresented minority or ethnic groups, and 7% have had disabilities). The mollusk collection at CMNH is a major resource of international significance, being the largest collection of northern Appalachian non-marine mollusks and one of the top five freshwater mussel collections. Historically significant, the collection vouchers 100 years of research. Examples of recent collection use include molecular and morphological systematic studies (including five by students), environmental monitoring, training for mussel surveyors, and museum exhibits. Any thorough study of North American mollusks would refer to this collection. Information on the CMNH Collection of Mollusks can be found at http://www.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/collection.htm.