CSBR: Natural History Collections: Vital Upgrades and Databasing for The University of Hawaii Insect Museum

这项工作将保障和改善夏威夷大学昆虫博物馆的无障碍环境，该博物馆收藏了来自太平洋地区的约250 000件昆虫标本。博物馆的基础设施将得到更新：破旧的橱柜，无法保持标本免受害虫和霉菌的侵害，将被更换。这些改进还将为额外的标本腾出空间，因为UHIM目前已接近产能。UHIM将加入一个博物馆团队（InvertNet），使用一个有效的过程从标本标签中复制数据，在这个过程中，标签被拍照并由计算机解释。每个标本的数据都将在网上提供，这样任何人都可以远程访问这些标本，用于研究或教育。昆虫是人类的主要害虫，影响农业，林业和家庭，也是致命疾病的载体。然而，一些昆虫控制害虫，另一些昆虫是农业作物和野生植物的重要授粉者，这些植物构成了自然群落的基础。夏威夷的入侵昆虫比其他任何一个州都多，而且已经失去了许多本土昆虫物种。UHIM拥有100多年的历史，拥有罕见的标本和独特的数据，使科学家能够追踪昆虫的入侵和消失。UHIM提供有关夏威夷生态系统健康的基本信息，以及恢复的指导方针。

This work will safeguard and improve accessibility of the University of Hawaii Insect Museum (UHIM), which contains about 250,000 insect specimens from the Pacific Region. Infrastructure of the museum will be updated: dilapidated cabinets, which can't keep specimens safe from pests and mold, will be replaced. The improvements will also make space for additional specimens, since UHIM is currently close to capacity. UHIM will join a team of museums (InvertNet) to copy the data from the specimen labels using an efficient process in which labels are photographed and interpreted by computer. The data from every specimen will be available online, so that anyone can access the collection remotely for research or education.Insects are major pests of humanity, affecting agriculture, forestry and homes, as well as being vectors of deadly diseases. Yet some insects control pest insects and others are crucial pollinators of both agricultural crops and wild plants, which form the basis of natural communities. Hawaii has more invasive insects than any other state, and has lost many of its native insect species. UHIM is over 100 years old and houses rare specimens and unique data that allow scientists to track the invasions and disappearances of insects over time. UHIM provides essential information on the health of Hawaiian ecosystems, and guidelines for its restoration.