A grant has been awarded to the University of Florida under the direction of Dr. Douglas S. Jones to integrate, curate, and digitize 875,000 invertebrate fossil specimens, making data from a total of approximately 2,500,000 specimens available online for research and education. The Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) at the University of Florida holds one of the ten largest invertebrate fossil collections in the United States and is ranked fifth in annual research loan activity among institutions housing large invertebrate fossil collections. The specimens that will be integrated have been donated from Tulane University, the University of South Florida, the Antarctic Eocene Collection, and the Paulay Collection of fossil molluscs and corals. Most visitors to the current invertebrate paleontology website are students, educators, and fossil enthusiasts searching for information for science projects, term papers, photographs of fossils, and other material. The project will greatly expand the amount of data available to the public. Material from the collection will be added to an ongoing outreach program called Museum on the Move, designed for grades 6-12.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
Application #
0645865
Program Officer
Anne Maglia
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2007-03-01
Budget End
2011-02-28
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$281,865
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611