Specimens by the Millions: Managing Large, Specialized Collections at the University of Washington Burke Museum Fish Collection
The University of Washington Fish Collection is a state-funded collection shared between the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture dating back to 1919. Early collecting followed the interests of curators and university class field trips, with a slow and steady growth rate up until the late 1970s. At that time, recognizing that state and federal agencies routinely collect specimens as part of their fishery and resource management efforts, we sought out partnerships with several local agencies, most notably the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Department, to provide collections support for the natural history specimens collected through their survey work. The millions of specimens collected through these efforts, including adults, juveniles, eggs, larvae, skeletal materials, otoliths, and tissue samples, along with detailed locality data, are now freely available to researchers around the world. Vouchering specimens adds value to agency research by allowing for verification of results of work critical to the management of our resources, including supporting forensic vouchering for law enforcement. Our collection benefits not only from the huge number and diversity of specimens we can make available to researchers, but also through training opportunities for our students who help to curate the collections and often participate in survey fieldwork along with agency scientists. I outline these partnerships and the benefits to both parties as we curate these vast specialized collections.
Pathway of specimens collected aboard NOAA Fisheries AFSC groundfish trawl surveys. First, specimens are collected from a haul. Next, specimens are labeled and photographed, tissues are taken and placed in 95% ethanol, and specimens are placed in 10% formalin. Specimens are then deposited in the UW Fish Collection where they are cataloged and placed in jars of 70% ethanol. Specimen and locality data are entered in the collection database and uploaded to the online search engine at https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/ichthyology/collections-database/search.php. Finally, specimen records can be downloaded and visualized with publicly available mapping software. Record shown is for Sebastes wilsoni, UW 151346.
Pathway of Early Life History collection specimens. First, plankton samples are collected by NOAA Fisheries AFSC FOCI (now the Recruitment Processes Program) scientists during annual surveys. Samples are then labeled and fixed in 3% formalin at sea. Next, samples are shipped to the Plankton Sorting and Identification Laboratory, Szczecin, Poland (ZSIOP), where they are sorted, identified, measured, and labeled. Larvae are placed in vials of 70% ethanol and eggs are placed in vials of 3% formalin. Labeled samples are then sent back to the AFSC for analysis. Quality control measures are in place to verify data and identifications. Samples are then transferred to the UW Fish Collection where they are cataloged and placed in cabinets. Specimen and locality data are entered in the collection database and uploaded to the online search engine at https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/ichthyology/collections-database/search.php. Specimen records can be downloaded and visualized with publicly available mapping software. Record shown is for Platichthys stellatus, UW 062774.
Transfer of otoliths from the NOAA Fisheries AFSC to the UW Fish Collection. Survey-collected otoliths in Styrofoam boxes stacked 6 meters high (top left picture) and observer-collected otoliths in old cardboard boxes (center-left picture) stored in a World War II–era hangar at the AFSC. The otolith vials are transferred from Styrofoam boxes to new archival-quality cardboard boxes. Both boxes and lids are labeled to ensure no loss of data. Boxes are organized on new compactor shelves in a new storage facility at the UW. Specimen and locality data are entered in the collection database and uploaded to the online search engine at https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/ichthyology/otolith-database/search.php. Search results are shown for Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) otoliths. Specimen records can be downloaded and visualized with publicly available mapping software. Image shows a map of all holdings of Sablefish otoliths collected by the NOAA Fisheries AFSC surveys.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: S. K. Huber.
From “The Expanding Role of Natural History Collections,” an ASIH-sponsored symposium at the 2019 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Snowbird, Utah.