IMIS

This data set contains 3,102 records: the results of an evaluation of Arctic marine fish specimens in museums and other permanent collections for the primary purpose of determining geographic distributions of species. Many specimens in historical collections are misidentified, and the misidentifications prevent accurate determination of species distributions. Recent systematic reviews and syntheses of information on identification and taxonomy of North Pacific and Arctic fishes, as well as our experience working on taxonomy of Arctic fish species, allow us to correct misidentifications and reevaluate species distributions. At each museum we examine specimens with questionable identifications, such as specimens collected from localities outside the species’ published geographic ranges. We also examine a random sample of specimens of each species from each cruise or other collection activity. Identifications are changed to correct misidentifications and to bring the taxonomic nomenclature up to date (such as changing an old name or junior synonym to the current name or senior synonym). We also proof and correct locality data against cruise records and published station data; and add other types of information to the database that have not previously been made available; e.g., habitat and physical parameters (vegetation, bottom type, bottom depth, temperature, salinity, etc.) for University of British Columbia specimens, which are not posted online with their other specimen data. Each database record, designated by a unique museum reference number, contains data on one museum “lot.” A lot can contain one or more specimens. The first edition of the database contains 3,102 records from North American and Russian institutions: California Academy of Sciences (120 records); Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks (30); Museum of the Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia (3); Museum of the Moscow State University, Russia (46); Point Stephens Research, Auke Bay, Alaska (55); U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. (219); University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks (155); University of British Columbia, Vancouver (912); University of Washington, Seattle (748); and Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia (814). Development of the database has been funded primarily by NOAA, Arctic Research Office, through the Russian-American Long-Term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA), and the Arctic Ocean Diversity (ArcOD) program (University of Alaska Fairbanks) of the Census of Marine Life. Population of the database is ongoing. Records will be added at least until the end of International Polar Year activities (2009), the Census of Marine Life program (2010), and the Russian-American Long-Term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA; joint program of NOAA and Russian Academy of Sciences with activities currently planned through 2012). See ) Thousands more existing museum specimens need to be evaluated and added, as well as specimens to be deposited in museums after ongoing and future cruises.