A new study published in Science shares a groundbreaking database aimed at addressing 21st century challenges. The MCZ is among the 73 participating natural history museums and herbaria from 28 countries. MCZ Director Gonzalo Giribet, former director and current Curator of Herpetology, James Hanken and retired Director of Collection Operations, Linda Ford, along with 150 museum directors and scientists, participated in a survey of collection holdings across museums and the subsequent creation of a common vocabulary of 19 collection types spanning the entirety of biological, geological, paleontological, and anthropological collections and 16 terrestrial and marine regions that cover the entirety of the Earth.
This is the first step of an ambitious effort to inventory global holdings that can help scientists and decision makers find solutions to urgent, wide-ranging issues such as climate change, food insecurity, human health, pandemic preparedness, and wildlife conservation.
New York Times feature, Science Museums Take Stock of 1.1 Billion Objects From Around the World