Natural history collections: collaborative opportunities and important sources of information about helminth biodiversity in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Only a small fraction of the Earth’s total biodiversity has been described. This is particularly true of parasitic fauna, due to the paucity of taxonomic expertise, funding, and interest in parasites. It is expected that co-extinctions will become the main cause of species loss with potentially half of the parasite species becoming extinct prior to their discovery. This article addresses this issue and highlights case studies from the Otago Museum (OMNZ) (Dunedin, New Zealand), providing examples of successful collaborations between government organisations, museums, and parasitologists in bridging knowledge gaps in parasite diversity. The case studies presented focus on the parasitic helminths from opportunistic necropsies of stranded marine mammals and deceased birds. Collections from these case studies have doubled the size of the parasite collection at the OM, making this institution the most important repository of parasitic helminths in the country. We encourage such collaborations between museums, governing bodies, indigenous communities, ecologists and parasitologists in enhancing our knowledge of parasite diversity. Furthermore, we urge scientists to deposit both host and parasite tissues from surveys, vouchers, along with their respective metadata so that samples can be adequately stored and curated, thus ensuring that parasite collections become a legacy for future generations of scientists.

KEYWORDS:

• Otago Museum
• taxonomic expertise
• research collaborations
• museum collections
• marine mammals

Acknowledgments

Contributions of various OMNZ Collections and Research staff (Cody Phillips, Kane Fleury) as well as various Researchers from the University of Otago (OU); Sophie White, Carolina Loch, Felix Marx, Moyna Müller, Yoshiro Tanaka; Auckland University of Technology (AUT); Emma Betty; and Massey University (MU); Karen Stockin; regularly involved in these necropsies is gratefully acknowledged. Professor Ewan Fordyce (OU), Professor Steve Dawson (OU) Dr Trudi Webster (OMNZ) and Jim Fyfe (DOC) have played key roles in the marine mammal necropsies mentioned in this review. Support of Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua (Mandy Home), Ngāi Tahu, Manawhenua Ki Mohua (Barney Thomas), Komiti Taoka Tuku Iho, the Department of Conservation (Mike Ogle), AgResearch Invermay Facility (Dr Geoff Asher) has been invaluable. We acknowledge Jeremy Barker (NMNZ), Rebecca Bray (AIM), John Early (AIM), Sadie Mills (NIWA), Ruby Moore (AIM), Dr Phil Sivid (NMNZ) for providing information on the parasite collections held at various institutions. The collaborative foresight of Dr Bronwen Presswell and Jerusha Bennett (OU) that led to work and donations described in Case Study III is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge Prof Robert Poulin, Dr Bronwen Presswell, and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback on a previous version of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).