Unlocking the Treasures of the Deep Wayne K. Florence Curator: Marine invertebrate Collections, Iziko Museums Digitization of South African Museum’s Marine Biology Data Pliny the Elder (23-79AD) Copied from Aristotle ‘semper aliquid novi Africam adferre’ Africa is always producing some novelty.

species (Griffths et al 2010) 3 rd highest spp richness/area – CoML (Costello et al 2010) 28% spp endemic to South Africa. Knowledge largely incomplete, outdated and fragmented Commercial bias Capacity Shortages What do we know about SA Marine Biodiversity?

Great Expeditions Challenger Expeditions 1800’s

The Inventory of Species Research and Collections

History of the Marine Biology Collections 6 Early European researchers habitually sent their material overseas so, although the collection became established in 1896, there were only occasional accessions before that date. Some special collections include: Expedition nameRegion coveredPeriodCollected By UCT Ecological SurveyDurban to Cape Town John D Gilchrist and RV Africana II SS Pieter FaureSt Helena Bay to Zululand SS Pieter Faure Natal Museum ’ s Dredging Programme Zululand to Cape Columbine RV Meiring Naude S A Museum ’ s Meiring Naude Cruises Kosi Bay to South of East London RV Meiring Naude UCT Marion Island Survey Marion Island RV SA Agulhas Cruise 060Columbine and Cape Point Canyons 1988RV Africana Mozambique Scad Survey Off Mozambique1994RV Algoa

South African Museum’s Meiring Naude cruises – 1970’s

DEA/DAFF – Annual Surveys

Prep and Taxonomy

Holdings Total Specimens in Collection - at least specimens of marine invertebrates, fishes and marine mammals Catalogued

Digitisation Muse – Specify 3 – Access – Specify 6 AfrOBIS (57 095): –Crustaceans – –Molluscs –Fishes –Marine Mammals SABIF (10 984): –Porifera, Cnidaria, Bryozoa, Annelida (Polychaeta), Echinodermata and other mixed invertebrates (ie., Dinoflagellata, Foraminifera, Helminth worms and Nemertea, Annelida, Brachiopoda, Pycnogonida and Ascidiacea)

Iziko MB Digital records Specify Records – Marine Invertebrates – (45% Georeferenced & 1493 types) Fishes – (45% Georeferenced & 408 types) Marine Mammals – 900 Cetacea and 598 Pinnipedia

SA Marine Bioregions South Africa’s nine marine bioregions (taken from Lombard et al. 2004)

Way Forward Marine Biodiversity Sector 1.formally agree on key gaps in knowledge, 2.appoint staff to fill gaps strategically and create positions, 3.facilitate graduate training to address gaps, and specifically to cope with the progressive loss of taxonomic expertise, 4.host workshops (including field studies) and symposia to generate team- building and a sense of urgency and momentum amongst participants to address gaps, 5.support low-cost, open-access publication of knowledge through e- journals and authoritative online species information systems (including digital species identification guides), 6.develop new technologies for ocean exploration, knowledge discovery, data management and dissemination of results, and 7.encourage international collaboration between countries to facilitate field work, strategically build specimen collections, and publish data and knowledge online. Improved coordination between institutions, including museums, fisheries institutes, government and intergovernmental agencies, and universities Major gaps in basic knowledge of marine biodiversity, taxonomically and geographically remain and therefore science and society would thus benefit from investing in discovery

Acknowledgements