WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Department of the Interior Museum will host the MMS Director and Director of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to discuss the collaborative project that resulted in the discovery of over 3oo new invertebrate species.
Since 1979, the Minerals Management Service has conducted intensive environmental studies on the Outer Continental Shelf. So far, these studies have resulted in the collection and identification of approximately 300 new species of marine invertebrates. MMS Director Liz Birnbaum will provide opening remarks for the lecture where both MMS and Smithsonian scientists and curators will discuss the various aspects of the archiving project. An introduction to the project from the perspective of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will be given by Dr. Cristián Samper, Director of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Cheryl Bright, Smithsonian Institution Department of Invertebrate Zoology Collection Manager, will describe the Smithsonian and MMS collaborative archiving project, including her role in receiving specimens, curating, and making specimens available to international scientists. Greg Boland, MMS Environmental Sciences Biological Oceanographer, will discuss the collection process and the obstacles that arise when removing specimens from great ocean depths.
MMS conducts many biological projects related to research regarding the development of offshore energy and mineral resources. The archiving of the collections by The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History has provided taxonomic verification and greater accessibility to marine invertebrate specimens for research.
Who: MMS Director Liz Birnbaum, Director of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Dr. Cristián Samper, Smithsonian Institution Department of Invertebrate Zoology Collection Manager Cheryl Bright, and MMS Environmental Sciences Biological Oceanographer Greg Boland
What: A MMS Legacy: The Fabric of Invertebrate Taxonomy
30 Years of Archiving MMS Marine Invertebrates at the Smithsonian Institution
When: Wednesday, October 7, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Where: U.S. Department of the Interior Museum Classroom
About the Interior Museum: The Interior Museum, located in the Main Interior Building at 1849 C Street, NW between 18th and 19th Streets, interprets the history of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm and from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm on the third Saturday of each month, except for all Federal holidays. Entrance is free but all adults must have photo ID to enter the building.