This project will further integrate the University of Alaska (UA) Museum Mammal Collection and Alaska Frozen Tissue Collection into Federal and state monitoring and inventorying initiatives by developing a permanent and more efficient personnel structure. This project will increase the value and accessibility of these collections and further establish them as important components of the regional scientific infrastructure. Presently there are many field studies and subsistence-monitoring projects on wild mammals underway throughout Alaska. While the UA Museum has capitalized on several excellent opportunities to archive (e.g.), Exxon Valdez marine mammals), a substantial number of ongoing projects do not result in the preservation of material in natural history collections.
Specifically, the project will upgrade a half-time position to full-time status as Manager of the Alaska Frozen Tissue Collection. The Museum has agreed to continue the new position with state funds and thus ensure a long-term effort to archive these important materials. The new position will expand the Alaska Frozen Tissue Collection significantly by coordinating efforts to collect tissues and skeletal material with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and North Slope Borough Division of Wildlife Management.
Additional staffing will allow the current Collection Manager to (1) oversee the verification the database, (2) migrate the database from x-base to Structured Query Language, (3) move the database onto its own dedicated server, and (4) assemble and archive related documentation (e.g., field notes, publications, reports). Finally, this project will provide additional freezer space and more secure back-up procedures for this large cryogenic collection.
