An assessment of zoological research collections in South Africa

Michelle Hamer

doi:10.4102/sajs.v108i11/12.1090

Abstract

Natural science collections are accepted globally as critical research assets. A total of 71 zoological collections in South Africa, consisting of over 15 million specimens housed at 22 institutions, were assessed to determine their current status and to make recommendations for their future security. The two greatest challenges to the sustainability of the collections are (1) that natural science museums report to departments with an arts and culture rather than a science mandate and (2) staffing. The total staff complement within these 22 institutions is 115, with many collections understaffed or not staffed, and the loss of a single staff member often leaves a collection neglected and unused. Consolidation of collections so that there is a critical mass of staff is essential to address understaffing and would also allow for the establishment of a more dynamic research and curation environment. Consolidation under an appropriate department would also enable concentration of resources rather than dilution across all institutions, which would improve the storage environment (currently 28% of collections have reliable temperature control and only 8% (five collections) have humidity control), and increase the efficiency of the use of available funds (the curation budget was R1.08 million in 2009/2010 for all 71 collections). Consolidation could also ensure the improvement of data storage, management and dissemination, thereby increasing accessibility to the collections and the use of the collections for research.

Highlights

Natural science collections have been assembled throughout the world for almost 300 years, with the first collections comprising mostly curiosities collected by travellers
Natural science collections comprise a wide variety of preserved biological specimens, from pressed and dried plants, to fossils and frozen animal sperm or plant seeds
Institutional governance The collections are managed by six national government departments, five universities, two provincial departments (Eastern Cape and Northern Cape Departments of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture), one municipality and one ‘not-forgain’ company (Oceanographic Research Institute)

Summary

Introduction

Natural science collections have been assembled throughout the world for almost 300 years, with the first collections comprising mostly curiosities collected by travellers. There are currently an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion preserved biological specimens in collections throughout the world. These collections have formed the basis for much biological research over the last two centuries, and their use and relevance for research and for understanding, using and protecting our natural resources is rapidly growing.[1] Increasingly, biological specimens in collections and information in associated databases are used internationally for examining changes in biodiversity related to habitat loss, global climate change, biological invasions, consumptive use and for conservation planning, environmental impact assessments, and for determining the threat status of species. Natural science collections comprise a wide variety of preserved biological specimens, from pressed and dried plants, to fossils and frozen animal sperm or plant seeds. Zoological collections include skeletons, skulls, skins, pinned insects, bird eggs and nests, snail shells, whole animals in various preservative liquids such as ethanol alcohol or formalin, whole specimens or tissues or DNA extracts kept frozen at various temperatures, parts of animals such as tissue samples, stomachs and their contents in preservatives, or diagnostic parts of animals such as fish otoliths (ear bones), or squid beaks, as well as specimens mounted on microscope slides

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