Memorandum submitted by National Museums
Liverpool
BACKGROUND
National Museums Liverpool (NML) is a non-departmental
public body sponsored by the Department of Culture Media and Sport.
It was established as a national museum in 1986 because of the
outstanding quality of its multidisciplinary collections. Natural
science collections are housed in World Museum Liverpool, which
re-opened in 2005 after a major re-development programme. Botany
and Zoology collections comprise 1.6 million specimens and are
of international, national and regional significance. Important
historic holdings are complemented by data-rich modern voucher
material. Eight curatorial staff either undertake or provide support
for systematic biology research as part of a range of duties.
Research embraces taxonomic studies, biodiversity and conservation
management projects and historical investigations. Staff are supported
by five taxonomic associates and 12 general volunteers.
THE STATE
OF SYSTEMATICS
AND TAXONOMIC
RESEARCH
1. What is the state of systematics research
and taxonomy in the UK? What are the current research priorities?
What are the barriers, if any, to delivering these priorities?
Systematic biology is central to life sciences
but poorly appreciated and sometimes derided. It provides base-line
knowledge that helps us to understand the natural world. The analysis
of systematic biology in the UK, provided in the UK Systematics
Forum's Web of Life strategy document, is still valid.
With minor revision and updating this could provide a valuable
contribution to the current debate.
2. What is the role of systematics and taxonomy
and, in particular, in what way do they contribute to research
areas such as biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and
climate change? How important is this contribution and how is
it recognised in the funding process? How is systematics integrated
in other areas of research?
Systematics and taxonomy benefit the whole
of society by contributing towards major issues affecting
the quality of all peoples' lives eg sustainable resource management,
environmental protection and landscape preservation. They are
the basis of people's understanding, and appreciation of the natural
world.
NML's UK Biodiversity Advisory Service provides
a good example of the application of taxonomic expertise allied
to extensive collection holdings which inform national and regional
conservation organisations, local authority planning departments
and industrial companies. Contemporary taxonomic collections validate
and ensure accuracy in such research. Historical collections provide
a reference point to assess change in the natural environment,
coupled with crucial genetic information (eg Ancient DNA). Analysing
data associated with NML's collections from pioneering naturalists
in Australia, for instance, supports understanding of Australia's
natural environment and cultural heritage and is providing evidence
to assist with the re-construction of damaged ecosystems.
3. Does the way in which systematics research
is organised and co-ordinated best meet the needs of the user
community? What progress has been made in setting up a body to
lead on this? What contribution do the leading systematics research
institutions make both nationally and internationally?
The UK systematic biology community is fragmented
and requires coordination. Direction was briefly provided by the
UK Systematics Forum in the late 1990s, which united both small
and large institutions, and is an essential requirement to raise
the profile of systematic biologists, and to exploit avenues of
funding. The recommendation in What on Earth that Defra
provide a lead in developing clear priorities should be progressed
by bringing together systematic biologists, conservationists and
the Government. Establishment of regional centres or hubs of systematic
excellence could further this objective. Staff at organisations
such as NML would benefit from the opportunity to link into such
a centre, and to contribute scarce skills to larger projects.
4. What level of funding would be needed to
meet the need for taxonomic information now and in the future?
Who should be providing this funding?
Defra should initially fund a co-ordinating
body of systematic biologists, as proposed in the What on Earth
report. There is also a need for a ring-fenced national budget
to support alpha-taxonomy and to support the next generation of
systematic biologists.
5. How does funding in other countries compare?
Could there be more international collaboration? If so, what form
should this collaboration take and how might it be achieved?
Most other countries also suffer from lack of
funding for systematics and taxonomic research, but in North America,
Australia and some European countries such as the Netherlands
there is greater support from Government, societies and institutions,
and even private individuals. Many of the museums in those countries,
even privately funded institutions, devote much greater proportions
of staff time and resources to such scientific research than do
equivalent museums in the UK. In these cases, their staff are
discovering and describing more taxa and providing crucial ecological
and faunistic information obtained through fieldwork.
6. What impact have developments in DNA sequencing,
genomics and other new technologies had on systematics research?
In what way has systematics embraced new technologies and how
can these research areas interact successfully and efficiently?
NML responds positively to all external requests
for its collections to be used for molecular biology research.
However, without additional funding and staffing resources museums
such as NML will be unable to provide infrastructure to support
innovative collections development initiatives for new areas in
science. NML staff are increasingly asked for samples of specimens
for genetic research, mainly for DNA or stable isotope analysis.
Most of these requests come from overseas laboratories, in countries
such as the USA and New Zealand.
DATA COLLECTION,
MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE
AND DISSEMINATION
7. Does the way in which taxonomic data is
collected, managed and maintained best meet the needs of the user
community? What is the state of local and national recording schemes?
There is not a consistent approach to the management
of natural science collection data. Nor is there an integrated
strategy for data output. NML uses the multidisciplinary soft-ware
package Mimsy XG. Other museums use KE EMu, whilst conservation
agencies and local record centres use Recorder, and amateur naturalists
increasingly use MAPMate. A standardized format for the reporting
of collection statistics is also required.
The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) is a
very significant advance in making biological records available
to a wide range of users. Through a series of overlays and linkages
a good level of interpretation of those records can also take
place, and the range of that value-added information is increasing.
There is, however, a degree of overlap with local record centres,
which rely on the value-added interpretation and collation of
records to produce reports for their clients. The relationship
between NBN, local biological centres and the national Biological
Records Centre (BRC) requires clarification, to ensure efficient
delivery of service and to avoid confusion amongst data contributors.
Museums such as NML are well positioned to support
local and national recording schemes. Staff co-ordinate national
schemes for particular taxa where they are specialists, and enjoy
a close working relationship with local naturalists and societies
to promote recording. Staff also provide support and specialist
advice to conservation agencies in delivering the Government's
Biodiversity Action Plan.
8. What is the role of the major regional
museums and collections? How are taxonomic collections curated
and funded?
The UK's major regional museums, whether national,
local government or university, in association with smaller local
museums with natural science collections, are ideally positioned
to support systematic biology research and in particular alpha-taxonomy.
The specialist knowledge and skills of staff, combined with extensive
collections, provide a unique resource. Museums have a long history
of bridging the gap between professional and amateur research.
They provide laboratory facilities and loans for researchers,
and promote public understanding of biodiversity and conservation
biology in their galleries and through formal and informal learning
programmes. The digitisation of collections will make data more
widely available, and has the potential to create a national collection
database. Collection management activities and funding for specialist
staff do, however, compete for scarce institutional resources.
9. What progress has been made in developing
a web-based taxonomy? How do such initiatives fit in with meeting
demand for systematics and taxonomy information? How do UK-led
initiatives fit in with international initiatives and is there
sufficient collaboration?
& 10. What needs to be done to ensure
that web-based taxonomy information is of high quality, reliable
and user-friendly?
For many groups there are web-based image and
identification resources. These encourage interest in groups and
generate records and through feedback the taxonomy can improve.
The best taxonomic information websites have discussion forums
run by recognised experts who validate quality. There are also
strong email community liaison forums for many groups (for instance,
the bird curators' networks eBEAC and Avecol) where taxonomic
issues are discussed, sometimes in great detail.
11. How does the taxonomic community engage
with the non-taxonomic community? What role do field studies play?
Museums provide an excellent interface between
the systematic biology community, conservation agencies, amateur
naturalists and the general public. At NML we use our collections
to promote understanding of the importance of biodiversity and
conservation biology in our living and gallery displays, and through
formal and informal learning programmes. Our award winning, interactive,
Clore Natural History Centre received over 250,000 visitors in
2007. Public talks and collection tours provide further engagement,
whilst collection-based practical sessions introduce the region's
university and college students to the concept of taxonomic collections,
and their role in supporting conservation agendas. Many national
and regional natural science societies enjoy a close working relationship
with museums, such as NML, and the collections provide an invaluable
resource for taxonomic training workshops. Specialist staff within
NML also provide training in the field for such groups.
12. What are the numbers and ages of trained
taxonomists working in UK universities and other organisations?
There is a need for a regularly updated, fully
comprehensive, national on-line register of UK amateur and professional
expertise in systematics, such as the one maintained by the UK
Systematics Forum in the late 1990s. The Register of UK Taxonomic
Expertise, maintained by the Natural History Museum, could fulfil
this role but requires further refinement. This should provide
available on-line information to scientists and other organisations
wishing to access scarce skills. It could also gather more confidential
information, eg age and ethnic origin, that would not be available
on-line, but which would help future analysis of the systematic
community. At NML all but one of the senior curatorial staff are
in their fifties and most are close to retirement age.
13. What is the state of training and education
in systematics and taxonomy? Are there any gaps in capacity? Is
the number of taxonomists in post, and those that are being trained,
sufficient to meet current and future needs across all taxonomic
subject areas?
An innovative, national strategy, embracing
all age-groups, is required to ensure that the number of
taxonomists being trained meets current and future needs and that
systematic biology, in its broadest sense, is understood and appreciated
by society as a whole. Museums have a pivotal role to play in
delivering this strategy and improving the skills-base for systematic
biology, through their formal and informal learning programmes
based on the collections, and because they do embrace all age
groups.
Pleasingly, some elements of systematic biology
are present in Key Stages 1-3, and at NML our "offer"
begins with an animal, vegetable, mineral session for early
years and Key Stage 1 children. In 2006—2007, the vast majority
of the 10,000 children attending formal learning sessions in our
Aquarium, Bug House and Clore Natural History
Centre (CNHC) were at Key Stage 2. There is a real
need to increase the coverage of systematics in the National Curriculum
at Key Stage 4. This age group does form an element of the 261,000
children attending drop-in sessions, and the CNHC's Clore Club
provides Saturday activities for 6 to 16 year olds who are beginning
to develop a deeper interest in natural history.
Unfortunately, systematic biology is poorly
represented in UK undergraduate programmes. At the very least,
there is a need to enhance whole-organism training amongst biologists
and environmental scientists. At NML we host collection-based
practicals for universities and colleges. These provide a first
insight into taxonomic careers. Ideally, postgraduate taxonomic
research should be directed towards poorly-understood or researched
taxa.
In addition to university courses there should
be an opportunity to develop skills through work-based learning.
For example, this year NML is hosting an Apprenticeship as
part of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Scotland's
HLF Natural Talent Bursary Scheme. The scheme aims to address
the deficit in skills identified as the "taxonomic impediment
to conservation action" in the What on Earth report.
The museum provides access to collections and other taxonomic
resources, as well as expert mentors, to facilitate this training.
Such resources also support specialist taxonomic training workshops
for both amateur and professional societies.
Career taxonomists can benefit from secondments
and exchanges between institutions such as museums, universities
and conservation organisations, which enable them to develop new
skills and benefit from working in different environments. Succession
management issues should be addressed, in order to ensure the
handing down of factual knowledge and continuity of collection
development and research. At present curatorial staff are replaced
only after they leave (if at all), which means their usually considerable
knowledge and experience disappears into the ether. Mechanisms
should also be established to support staff after their official
retirement dates, where appropriate, in order to benefit from
such mental resources.
Similarly, systematic biology research has benefited
considerably from amateur taxonomists taking early retirement
and pursuing their interest in taxonomic work and biological recording.
This is unlikely to continue unless an old blood initiative
is funded to enable motivated individuals to produce keys and
monographs in association with recognised taxonomic institutions,
and to encourage and train the younger generation.
January 2008
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