RUI: CSBR: Natural History: Securing and digitizing an extensive spatio-temporal collection of southern California's marine biodiversity

该项目将对一个长期的海洋鱼类、无脊椎动物和藻类标本馆进行更新和现代化改造，并将Vantuna研究小组（VRG）的研究成果纳入摩尔动物学实验室（MLZ），该实验室是一个以杰出的鸟类和哺乳动物博物馆而闻名的博物馆，收藏了来自美国西海岸和西南部、墨西哥和拉丁美洲的约65，000件标本。 这个独特的VRG收藏品包括来自南加州海洋栖息地五十年密集调查的686，000多个标本，代表了该地区最大的空间尺度海洋研究和世界上最长的近岸珊瑚礁栖息地连续时间序列。 将这些精心策划的收藏品合并到MLZ中可以长期保存标本，通过数字记录公开提供标本，并将VRG的实地计划与即将成立的MLZ基因组学中心积极整合。 这些标本不仅将加强尖端的生物研究，而且将继续用于本科课程和研究。 此外，标本将被纳入MLZ内的教育展示和展览，以加强公众宣传。在项目过程中，所有海洋标本将被转移到一个新的压缩机系统中，在此系统中，它们可以安全地永久保存，以整合野外和博物馆的研究计划。 个别标本将被数字化，其数据在Arctos中管理，并与iDigBio（iDigBio.org）共享。 这些收藏品包括近1 000种鱼类和400种来自岩礁、海带床和近岸生境的海洋沉积物底栖动物物种。该系列包括各种标本类型-成鱼和仔鱼、鱼组织、鱼耳石、鱼性腺、鱼内脏、底栖动物标本、浮游生物和藻类样本。这些标本不仅涵盖了南加州岩礁生态系统的全部空间范围，而且还代表了40多年来每月收集的标本。所有标本都将借给研究人员。作为该项目的成果，研究人员和本科生将能够无缝地跨平台，包括基于实地的研究，数据密集型分析和基因组学。这个从分子到海洋生态学的"端到端"愿景代表了一个机会，可以促进以生物学为基础的研究，在全球环境变化的情况下对一个重要的生态区域进行长期评估。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

This project will digitize and modernize an extensive long-term marine fish, invertebrate, and algae collection and integrate specimens, documenting research by the Vantuna Research Group (VRG), into The Moore Laboratory of Zoology (MLZ), a museum well known for an outstanding bird and mammal museum of approximately 65,000 specimens from the west coast and southwest United States, Mexico and Latin America. This unique VRG collections includes over 686,000 specimens from five decades of intensive surveys of marine habitat in Southern California, representing the largest spatial scale marine study in the region and longest continual time series of nearshore reef habitats in the world. Consolidation of this meticulously curated collection into the MLZ enables long-term preservation of the specimens, makes specimens publicly available through digital records, and actively integrates the VRG's field-based program with the forthcoming MLZ genomics center. The specimens will not only enhance cutting-edge, biological research but also will continue to be used in undergraduate courses and research. In addition, specimens will be incorporated into educational displays and exhibits within the MLZ to enhance public outreach.Over the course of the project, all marine specimens will be moved to a new compactor system where they can be safely and permanently housed in this effort to integrate field and museum research programs. Individual specimens will be digitized, with their data managed in Arctos and shared with iDigBio (iDigBio.org). These collections comprise nearly 1,000 fish species and 400 marine sediment infaunal species from rocky reefs, kelp beds and nearshore habitats. The collection includes a wide range of specimen types - adult and larval fish, fish tissues, fish otoliths, fish gonads, fish gut contents, infaunal specimens, plankton and algae samples. The specimens not only encompass the full spatial extent of the southern California rocky reef ecosystem, but also represent over 40 years of monthly collections. All specimens will be made available for loan to researchers. As an outcome of this project, researchers and undergraduate students will be able to seamlessly cross platforms, including field-based research, data intensive analysis, and genomics. This 'end to end' vision from molecules through marine ecology represent an opportunity to foster specimen-based research for long-term assessment of an important ecological region in the face of global environmental changes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.