Squids, Spiders, and Snakes, Oh My!: Revitalizing UVM’s Zoological Fluid Collection
Conference Year
2024
Abstract
Natural history collections provide key resources for natural and evolutionary studies. For preservation, specimens are either dried or stored in ethanol. Our collection of ethanol-preserved specimens at UVM contains thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens from around the world but has suffered from neglect and inadequate organization. This semester we have worked on maintaining the collection as well as accessioning specimens. This entails testing the ethanol levels, refilling when necessary, and adding the specimen’s data to a publicly available database. With our work, this collection can serve as a valuable resource for decades to come.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Sara Helms Cahan
Graduate Student Mentors
Lauren Berkley
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Zoology
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Squids, Spiders, and Snakes, Oh My!: Revitalizing UVM’s Zoological Fluid Collection
Natural history collections provide key resources for natural and evolutionary studies. For preservation, specimens are either dried or stored in ethanol. Our collection of ethanol-preserved specimens at UVM contains thousands of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens from around the world but has suffered from neglect and inadequate organization. This semester we have worked on maintaining the collection as well as accessioning specimens. This entails testing the ethanol levels, refilling when necessary, and adding the specimen’s data to a publicly available database. With our work, this collection can serve as a valuable resource for decades to come.