Marine collections supporting taxonomic research

PORCUPINE MARINE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Spring 2013 Number 33 ISSN 1466-0369 Boström, C. & Bosdorff, E. 1997. Community structure and spatial variation of benthic invertebrates associated with Zostera marina (L.) beds in the northern Baltic Sea. Journal of Sea Research 37: 153-166 Davison, D. M. & Hughes, D. J. 1998. Zostera Biotopes (volume I). An overview of dynamics and sensitivity characteristics for conservation management of marine SACs. Scottish Association for Marine Science (UK Marine SACs Project). 95pp. Den Hartog, C. 1987. ‘Wasting disease’ and other dynamic phenomena in Zostera beds. Aquatic Botany 27: 3−14. Foden, J. 2007. Seagrass guidance and competencies document. CEFAS Report, unpublished. Foden, J. & Brazier, D. P. 2007. Angiosperms (seagrass) within the EU water framework directive: A UK perspective. Marine Pollution Bulletin 55: 181-195. Fowler, S. L. 1992. Marine monitoring in the Isles of Scilly, 1991. English Nature Research Report No. 9., Peterborough. (Contractor: Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd) Frederiksen, M., Krause-Jensen, D., Holmer, M. & Laursen, J.S. (2004a) Long-term changes in area distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Danish coastal waters. Aquatic Botany 78: 167−181. Nienhuis, P. H. & Groenendijk, A. M. 1986. Consumption of eelgrass (Zostera marina) by birds and invertebrates: an annual budget. Marine Ecology Progress Series 29: 29-35 Peralta, G., Perez-Lorens, J.L., Hernandez, I. & Vergara, J.J. 2002. Effects of light availability on growth, architecture and nutrient content of the seagrass Zostera noltii Hornem. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 269: 9–26. Polte, P. & Asmus, H. 2006. Influence of seagrass beds (Zostera noltii) on the species composition of juvenile fishes temporarily visiting the intertidal zone of the Wadden Sea. Journal of Sea Research 55:244–255 Portig, A. A., Mathers, R. G., Montgomery, R. N. & Govier, R.N. 1994. The distribution and utilisation of Zostera species in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. Aquatic Botany 47: 317-328. Tittley, I., Paul, A. M., Rumsey, F. J. & Chimonides, P.J. 1999. Monitoring of Eel Grass beds in Morecambe Bay European marine site. A report to British Gas Hydrocarbon Resources Limited. The Natural History Museum, London. 16pp. United Utilities. 2006. Walney Channel Habitats Directive. Appropriate Assessment - Phase 2. WFD-UKTAG. 2012. UKTAG Transitional and coastal water assessment methods angiosperms: Seagrass (Zostera) bed assessment. 66 PMNHS Newsletter No.33 Spring 2013 Marine collections supporting taxonomic research Teresa Darbyshire & Andrew S.Y. Mackie Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales, Cardiff Teresa.Darbyshire@museumwales.ac.uk Museum collections are an essential source of specimens for many types of research. Despite changing trends relating to public access and interaction, and increasing financial pressures, museums remain central to object or specimen -led research (e.g., see Graham 2005; Reid & Naylor 2005; McPherson 2006). Natural History museums have a vital role to play in taxonomy, phylogeny, biodiversity, biology and ecology, including the application of modern molecular systematics (Tautz et al. 2003; Will et al. 2005; Doherty et al. 2007; Drew 2011). Their collections are the depository for ‘type’ specimens, those specimens normally designated when an animal is first described and then used as the definitive reference point for that species from then on. Often, the number of type specimens housed in a museum is seen as representing the main value of that collection, however, the thousands of other specimens that represent decades of marine fieldwork and survey work are also a vital resource. This article focusses on the marine collections in Amgueddfa Cymru— National Museum Wales but for wider information concerning such collections in the UK, the reader is referred to the publication resulting from a workshop on “Marine sample collections – their value use and future” held in the Natural History Museum, London in April 2000 (http:// www.marine.gov.uk/publications/InfoDoc8. pdf). Contributions by Chambers (2001), Mackie (2001 a, b), Rainbow (2001) and Tittley (2001) are of particular relevance. In addition, the theme of Porcupine’s own Annual Conference, held at the same venue in March 2005, was “Collections, Collectors, Collecting” (http://pmnhs.co.uk/2005-annual-meetingcollections-collectors-collecting-the-naturalhistory-museum). Twenty-one talks were given, with 13 accounts appearing in Porcupine Newsletters 18 and 19. In the present context, articles by Rainbow (2005), Tittley (2005) and Kazic et al. (2006) are of interest (see also Miguez 2006). Collections in National Museum Wales The marine collections in the Museum date back to the early 1900s although some donated specimens date back well before then. The Mollusca and Lower Plants Sections hold their own marine specimen collections (see below), however, the majority of marine invertebrate specimens, representing most marine phyla, are maintained by the Marine Biodiversity Section. Marine Biodiversity Section Our databases currently contain around 60 000 records of over 650 000 specimens across most marine phyla. Around two-thirds of all the records are from Wales and in total, British and Irish specimens make up 94% of the collection, the other 6% coming from over 60 other countries across all continents. Our collections are not static but constantly grow through both fieldwork and specimen donations. The number of type specimens also increases through our own research as well as donations of type material from other scientists. Where a variety of types (e.g., holotype, paratypes, allotypes) are designated for a certain species, it is good practice for the author(s) to donate some of these to more than one museum to aid access by other scientists and also reduce the risk of loss or damage at any one collection location. Although 20 different Fig. 1: Breakdown of 2012 holdings of marine invertebrate groups (not including Mollusca) in NMW collections. marine phyla are housed in our collections, the main focus of our research is on the Polychaeta (marine bristleworms, within the Annelida) and correspondingly that collection is the largest and most diverse (Figure 1). Fig. 2: Holotype specimen of the polychaete Scalibregma celticum Mackie, 1991, described from Wales as a result of NMW’s own survey work Type specimens of nearly 100 different species of both polychaete and arthropod species are held in our collections. Of these, around half of the polychaete types are holotype specimens (Figure 2) while the majority of the arthropod type species are represented by holotype specimens. Paratypes, syntypes, allotypes and neotypes are also present in the collections. Both type and non-type specimens are often requested for loan by other taxonomists to aid their research. Marine Mollusca The marine element of the Mollusca Section’s collection comprises approximately 120 000 lots of both dry and fluid-preserved specimens from around the world including around 3000 types, although there are many more still being researched. Several important shell collections have been donated/acquired by the Museum over the years, the largest and most significant of which is the Melvill-Tomlin collection. This collection was acquired in 1955 and comprises 85 500 specimens of which around 55 500 are marine and it represents the second-largest privately-amassed shell collection in the world. It is a worldwide reference collection and is important for the historical data included with it as well as the taxonomically important PMNHS Newsletter No.33 Spring 2013 67 Fig. 3: The oldest type specimen in the NMW molluscan collections is the holotype of Neptunea lyrata (Gmelin, 1791) specimens. The oldest type specimen in the collection is that of Neptunea lyrata (Gmelin, 1791), collected by James Cook in 1778 during his third and final voyage (Figure 3). The recent Marine Bivalve Shells of the British Isles (http://naturalhistory.museumwales. ac.uk/britishbivalves) identification website was produced entirely within the Museum drawing heavily on the Museum’s own collections to provide the details of around 360 species of bivalve from the shoreline down to 5000 m. Marine Algae The Lower Plants Section has approximately 4000 marine algae mounted on herbarium sheets. There are approximately 422 species, representing two-thirds of all British seaweeds, in this predominantly British collection that contains historically important material. Lewis Weston Dillwyn’s Herbarium British Confervae, although mainly freshwater, includes 4 confirmed marine lectotypes plus further suspected types not yet researched (Figure 4). One of the largest single collections of algae in the Museum, that of E. M. Holmes (1843-1930), contains over 1000 specimens including some of the earliest collected British specimens of the non-native brown seaweed Colpomenia peregrina (Oyster Thief), collected in 1908. Other important collections include the herbarium of Queen Mary College, London (approx. 310 algal taxa), Mary Wyatt’s Algae Danmoniensis and the combined collections of Drs Margaret T. Martin and William Eifion Jones (over 1000 specimens). 68 PMNHS Newsletter No.33 Spring 2013 Fig. 4: Lectotype of Conferva daviesii (Dillwyn, 1809) Accessibility of Specimens Being a public institution, our museum collections can be accessed by scientists, both domestic and international, amateur and professional, through specimen loans or by direct visits. Access to specimens not deposited in museums can be very difficult. Universities rarely maintain such collections nowadays and specimens are often disposed of if the person responsible for them leaves or retires. In recent years we have seen a rise in enquiries asking whether the Museum can take a collection that is about to be disposed of (Figure 5). The demise of these collections is not a problem unique to the UK (e.g., see Gropp 2004). Specimens collected by consultancies may be kept for only a specified length of time (Mackie 2001b) or as part of their own reference collection but the majority are frequently disposed of later. Additionally, the results of a survey may be deemed confidential and access to the corresponding specimens restricted. Access to specimens is essential for a variety of research purposes as new species are found and current species are re-described. Older publications may list species that have since been re-described or split into more than one species and unless specimens have been deposited in the collections of a museum (or other suitable institution) it can be almost Doherty, S., Gosling, E. & Was, A. 2007. Bivalve ligament – a new source of DNA for historical studies. Aquatic Biology 1: 161-165. Drew, J. 20011. The role of Natural History institutions and bioinformatics in conservation biology. Conservation Biology 25: 1250-1252. Graham, M.S. 2005. Assessing priorities: research at museums. Museum Management and Curatorship 20: 287-291. Gropp, R.E. 2004. Threatened species: university natural history collections in the United States. Systematics and Biodiversity 1: 285-286. Huber, J.T. 1998. The importance of voucher specimens, with practical guidelines for preserving specimens of the major invertebrate phyla for identification. Journal of Natural History 32: 367-385. Kazic, A., Hammond, J.B.W., Johnston, D.A., Merrett, N.R. & Crimmen, O. 2006. Molecular data on preserved fish specimens from the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Newsletter 19: 22-23. McPherson, G. 2006. Public memories and private tastes: the shifting definitions of museums and their visitors in the UK. Museum Management and Curatorship 21: 44-57. Mackie, A.S.Y. 2001a. Marine Invertebrate collections in the National Museum of Wales. In Marine Sample Collections: their value, use and future (R. G. Rothwell, ed). IACMST Information Document 8: 24-25. Mackie, A.S.Y. 2001b. A proposal for the safe-keeping of marine invertebrate specimens collected during environmental survey programmes. In Marine Sample Collections: their value, use and future (R. G. Rothwell, ed). IACMST Information Document 8: 26-29. Fig. 5: Donated collections such as this OPRU reference collection (top), donated when the company closed their Pembrokeshire office in 1999, are initally registered and then gradually conserved using museum-grade vials and accessioned into the Museum’s own collection storage facilities (bottom) impossible to track them down or gain access to them. Hence records can be difficult or impossible to re-investigate or verify (see Huber 1998). To conclude: museum collections are central to the work of the taxonomist. Without them, taxonomic research would be even more challenging that it already is! All Images: Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales © References Chambers, S. 2001. The Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network surveys — a good example of how to develop sample collections. In Marine Sample Collections: their value, use and future (R. G. Rothwell, ed). IACMST Information Document 8: 20-21. Miguez, R. 2006. The spirit of the Museum. Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Newsletter 20: 25-28. Rainbow, P. 2001. Collections: past, present and future. In Marine Sample Collections: their value, use and future (R. G. Rothwell, ed). IACMST Information Document 8: 9-10. Rainbow, P.S. 2001. Collections of discovery. Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Newsletter 18: 25. Reid, M. & Naylor, B. 2005. three reasons to worry about museum researchers. Museum Management and Curatorship 20: 359-364. Tautz, D., Arctander, P., Minelli, A., Thomas, R.H., & Vogler, A.P. 2003. A plea for DNA taxonomy. Trends in Ecology and Evolution b: 70-74. Tittley, I. 2001. Museum algal collections and environmental change. In Marine Sample Collections: their value, use and future (R. G. Rothwell, ed). IACMST Information Document 8: 42-47. Tittley, I. 2005. Marine algal (seaweed) collections at the Natural History Museum (BM). Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Newsletter 18: 27-28. Thomas, R.H. 1994. Molecules, museums and vouchers. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 9: 413-414. Will, K.W., Mishler, B.D., Wheeler, Q.D. 2005 The perils of DNA barcoding and the need for integrative taxonomy. Systematic Biology 54: 844-851. PMNHS Newsletter No.33 Spring 2013 View publication stats 69