Online Collections Database (collections.naturalsciences.org)

Research is integral to the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, the only science museum in North Carolina with a full-time research staff.

The Museum's scientists maintain the state’s zoological collections; conduct primary research in the natural sciences; collaborate on research projects with area universities, state and federal agencies and international organizations; and interpret natural history to the public. Research curators also serve on exhibit development committees for the new Museum of Natural Sciences.

The Museum is located within commuting distance of North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina Central University and plays an important supporting role in natural sciences study at the university level. The Museum currently sponsors one joint senior position and four adjunct appointments with North Carolina State University, positions designed to foster and promote cooperative research and speed the dissemination of scientific information to the public.

Current research projects include:

• Producing an atlas of North American freshwater clams
• Detailing the distributions of amphibians and freshwater fishes of North Carolina
• Continuing research into the taxonomy of the millipede fauna of North America.

Agencies and organizations with specific environmental interest in North Carolina and the Southeast fund the following representative research activities:

• Venomous Snakes of North Carolina booklet  (PDF, 676k)
  Note: The printed booklet is available for sale at the Museum Store
• North American Centipede Species List and Distribution Maps
• Workbook and Key to the Freshwater Bivalves of North Carolina
  (PDF, 2.8MB)    Color Plates (PDF, 3.3MB)
• Checklist of North Carolina Amphibians
• Checklist of North Carolina Reptiles

The Museum’s collections focus on the zoology, geology, and paleontology of the southeastern United States. More than 95% of the research collection’s approximately 1.1 million vertebrate, invertebrate, rock, mineral, and fossil specimens are from North Carolina and the Southeast; most collections of extant fauna contain between 90% and 100% of species known to occur within the state.

Collections are maintained in the following areas: rocks and minerals, fossils, invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals. Extensive plant and insect collections are available at universities in the Raleigh, N.C. area. Because the Museum has reliable access to these materials through ongoing research collaboration, the Museum has not duplicated significant collections available locally.

Scientists and policy makers rely on the collections and the data they contain for purposes as varied as judging the appropriateness of environmental permits, assessing historical pollutant levels at specific localities, and determining the level and/or significance of intraspecies differentiation in taxonomy. The Museum collections also play a major role in basic biodiversity research.

For general inquiries about the Museum of Natural Sciences’ research and collections division, please contact Director of Research and Collections Karen Giroux at 919.733.7450, ext. 701. For inquiries about specific collections, please contact section curators or collection managers.

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Zoology - "Selected links to sites hosted by Smithsonian Institution museums and organizations", the Encyclopedia Smithsonian is a virtual smorgasbord of zoological facts, photos, artwork, trivia, games, references, and other resources.

Animal Diversity Web - From the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. An animal encyclopedia that provides general classification information, as well as detailed natural history accounts, photographs, and/or sound clips of many species.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission - "Hunting, fishing, trapping regulations, licenses, boat registration applications and fees, and useful information about North Carolina's wildlife resources and relative programs".

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - "Conserving the Nature of America". In the endangered species section, users can select a particular state (e.g., North Carolina) and get a list of federally endangered plants and animals in that state, often with links to pictures and additional information.

National Biological Information Infrastructure - "The NBII is an electronic gateway to biological data and information maintained by federal, state, and local government agencies; private sector organizations; and other partners around the nation and the world." NBII also maintains an Expertise Database.

Savannah River Ecology Lab - At the University of Georgia. Ecological research, outreach, and educational opportunities for undergraduates and graduate students.

North Carolina Botanical Garden - Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, "the North Carolina Botanical Garden has been a leader in native plant conservation and education in the southeastern United States for more than 30 years." The NC Botanical Garden's UNC Herbarium currently contains over 750,000 specimens, which are used by students, botanists, taxonomists and other professionals from across the Southeast and the nation.