Zasoby informacji o różnorodności morskich Eukaryota w zbiorach naukowych Instytutu Oceanologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk

The Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN) stores 77,500 natural history specimens from marine areas, which have been collected since 1985, when the Arctic Ecosystem Laboratory was established, later transformed into the Department of Marine Ecology. The majority of the collection is zooplankton (approximately 36,000 specimens) collected during the annual research cruises with the s/y Oceania ship to the area of the Nordic seas. Some smaller collections organized by individual researchers working with specific systematic groups are equally important. Thus, the Institutes collection resources also include specimens of bryozoans (Bryozoa), crustaceans (Crustacea) with a separate collection of hermit crabs (Paguroidea), as well as hydroids (Hydrozoa), bristle worms (Polychaeta), molluscs (Mollusca), sipunculid worms or peanut worms (Sipuncula), and echinoderms (Echinodermata) as well as protists (Protista), meiofauna with separate collections of kinorhynchs, the spiny-crown worms (Kinorhyncha) and nematodes (Nematoda) as well as Antarctic and Gulf of Gdansk macrofauna. As part of the IMBIO project (Integration and mobilization of data on the biotic diversity of Eukaryota in the resources of Polish scientific institutions), the specimen collections currently held by the Institute will be systematized and organized, and the data on resources will be digitalized in the form of metadata databases. The idea of digitizing the data contained in the descriptions of scientific collections and sharing them through the Polish Biodiversity Information Network (KSIB) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) organizations will facilitate a wider insight and use of previously unavailable scientific collections.