Biodiversity and collections: New Zealand Virtual Herbarium
The New Zealand Virtual Herbarium has just been launched. Brings together specimen records from 11 herbaria in NZ - various search options and output in mapping and matrix forms.
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Biodiversity policy: national biodiversity portals
There are a range of different approaches to integrated web presentation of biodiversity on a national level, bringing together in various ways research, information, public awareness and participation, policy and other concerns. Just at random, because I've looked at a few recently and like these, and because the Swedish one was helpfully pointed out to me this morning:
- Sweden - Swedish biodiversity centre
- India - Indian biodiversity portal
- Australia - Atlas of Living Australia
- Ireland - National biodiversity data centre
- Mexico - Conabio
- UK - National biodiversity network
Not a particularly consistent selection - some with a primary emphasis on data, some including public participation and awareness, others with research or collections interests - some are institutions, others networks. I'd be interested in other examples - particularly peak integrating portals on a national level - any ideas?
Museum Science: use of collections to investigate amphibian declines
Recent paper from Cheng et al in PNAS on using museum collections of formalin-preserved amphibia to investigate chytrid epidemics. Commentary from Lips. Linked in terms of techniques to Barry Clarke's work in the NHM. References/....more
Lips, K R Museum collections: Mining the past to manage the future PNAS June 7, 2011 vol. 108 no. 23 9323-9324
Cheng, T L et al. Coincident mass extirpation of neotropical amphibians with the emergence of the infectious fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis PNAS June 7, 2011 vol. 108 no. 23 9502-9507
Soto-Azat C, Clarke BT, Fisher MC, Walker SF, Cunningham AA (2009) Non-invasive sampling methods for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in archived amphibians. Dis Aquat Organ 84:163–166.
Museum Ethics: disposal, access and use
Useful article by Mark Fisher in the Art Newspaper on issues surrounding disposal and public benefit - stimulated by the recent Farrer seminar. A focus on art collections, but the principles and issues are relevant to natural history and library collections as well.
Collection science: the remeasurement of man
Interesting editorial in Nature on controversy on possible bias in interpreting measurement of human skulls from collections.
Museum Ethics: NY guidelines on deaccession
Useful summary and resources on developments in deaccessioning for some New York museums in the current difficult financial climate.
Collections science: use of fossil sirenians for palaeoclimate research
Science paper on Eocene climate using isotope evidence from museum collections. Latitudinal Gradients in Greenhouse Seawater δ18O: Evidence from Eocene Sirenian Tooth Enamel and Science 22 April 2011: 332 (6028), 455-458. [DOI:10.1126/science.1201182]
Museum/Biodiversity policy Australia: Australian collections online
Zoological collections of Australian museums on OZCAM, and botanical on Australia's Virtual Herbarium. Looks like increasing potential for complimentary development under the Atlas of Living Australia umbrella with various scientific and public engagement interests.
Biodiversity and collections: social media and beetle identification
Natural History Museum flickr photostream for beetle identification.
Biodiversity and collections: NHM paper on the use of collections for climate change research
A paper by Johnson et al. has been published arising from a project at the Natural History Museum, London, that examined the research potential of natural history collections and makes recommendations for strategic development to meet research needs and take advantage of the development of climate change work. Reference.../more
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Kenneth G. Johnson, Stephen J. Brooks, Phillip B. Fenberg, Adrian G.
Glover, Karen E. James, Adrian M. Lister, Ellinor Michel, Mark Spencer,
Jonathan A. Todd, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Jeremy R. Young, John R.
Stewart (2011) Climate Change and Biosphere Response: Unlocking the Collections Vault. Bioscience 61 147-153 DOI: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.2.10