RESTORATION AND DIGITIZATION OF THE FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODA MICROFOSSIL TYPE COLLECTION AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

In the 1980s the bulk of the American Museum of Natural History’s Microfossil Foraminifera and Ostracoda non-type collection was transferred to the National Museum of Natural History. The curation and rehabilitation of the remaining scientifically valuable 7000+ Foraminifera and Ostracoda type collection at AMNH was at a risk of data dissociation and specimen loss. An NSF grant (award 1203394) facilitated restoring, documenting, and digitizing this collection. To produce high-resolution digital imaging of the specimens we used light microscopy using a Nikon SMZ-1500 Stereo Microscope of 1000 primary types (holotypes and paratypes) and CT scanning of 50 primary types using an NSF-funded CT-scanner, a GE Phoenix v|tome|x s240 with the nanofocus 180kv X-ray tube. CT scans were postprocessed using Volume Graphics StudioMax 2.2 software, which enables 3D-printed representations of type specimens that can serve as valuable teaching tools for research and education. The .stl mesh and .mp4 video files are electronically shared on Morphosource. The Microfossil project supported and trained 18 undergraduate student interns over 3 summers in modern practices of curation, databasing, imaging, and CT scanning. The generated specimen database and images are now available on iDigBio, the foraminifera.eu project websites and specimen data will be available on the online KE Emu database (migration and testing currently ongoing) of the Division of Paleontology at AMNH, providing access to researchers, students, and the general public, and ensuring accessibility to the collection.