|
Harbor Branch Museum
The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Museum (HBOM) consists of extensive marine research,
teaching, and archival collections. Specimens are loaned to scientists around the world
for research and are also used extensively by educators. Founded in 1975, the Museum
houses over 450,000 specimens of marine animals and plants from around the world, a culmination
of 25 years of research by Harbor Branch scientists, visiting researchers, and the Smithsonian
Marine Station. Highlights of the collections include extensive deep sea specimens, a larval
and an ecological fish collection, and large marine algae, crustacean, echinoderm, fish, and
molluscan holdings. Key localities include South Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean islands,
and more remote sites such as the Galapagos, Okinawa, and West Africa. Over 100 published
papers by our scientists and their colleagues around the world have cited specimens from the
collections. See Biomedical Division and
Marine Science Division for more information.
The Museum holdings are on computer, allowing for scientific searches upon request.
Specimens may be borrowed by scientists and scientific organizations. Facilities are available
for use by visiting researchers and field assistance is also available for researchers, educators,
and visiting classes. Museum volunteers and staff participate in community outreach programs.
Volunteers are extensively involved in collections management. For more information on
volunteering at Harbor Branch, look under volunteer program.
For information on tours of Harbor Branch, look under tour program.
Zoological Collection
The Zoological Collection includes major holdings of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms.
As of June, 31,884 lots have been catalogued representing over 400,000 specimens. HBOM has
substantial deep-sea collections including the world's largest collection of submersible-captured
fish. Because many specimens were collected locally, they provide a record of the flora and fauna
of this area, not only in the present, but in the past in rapidly developing south Florida.
The Museum provides a depository for specimens collected by our scientists, ships, and submersibles.
Specimens may be borrowed for research.
Harbor Branch Herbarium
The Herbarium's emphasis is marine algae with over 700 species represented, many of which were
collected by our submersibles. Computerization of the plant collection was completed this year.
As of June, 7683 plants have been catalogued. The Herbarium is under the direction of Dennis
Hanisak (see Marine Science Division).
Specimens may be borrowed for research.
Teaching Collection
The Museum maintains a large collection of specimens for use in teaching. Our biological and
historical collections assist scientists, students, and educators in a variety of ways. Local
schools may take specimens to the classroom. Visiting college and high school groups have
access to the collection. Short courses offered at Harbor Branch also draw on the resources
of the Teaching Collection. HBOM specimens have assisted educators from universities and
colleges around the country and in the local school systems as effective teaching tools.
Behind-the scenes tours of the Museum as well as specimen loans to compliment classroom lectures
can motivate students of all ages to learn about marine biology, ecology, and oceanography.
Harbor Branch Archives
The 20th anniversary of Harbor Branch Oceanogaphic Institution in 1991 prompted the establishment of
our historical Archives section within our Museum. This includes an extensive collection of artifacts,
written records, newspaper articles, and photographs which are being conserved in an effort to document
the exciting history of our unique institution. Many of the items forming this collection are on on
public exhibit and can be viewed throughout the campus grounds and inside several buildings.
|
