Pacific Rim Biodiversity Catalog; U. of Cal. Berkeley

The Pacific Rim Biodiversity Catalog

The University of California Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, with
the support of the Pacific Rim Research Program, are in the process of
compiling a database on Pacific Rim biodiversity. They have sought information
from nearly 200 natural history institutions throughout the world concerning
the taxonomic, geographic and temporal composition of their Pacific Rim
zoological and paleontological holdings.
See: "http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/collections/pacrim.html"

The survey consists of 20 matrices, each corresponding to one of 20
regions comprising the Pacific Rim.
1. Mexico 11. Indonesia
2. Central America 12. Malaysia / Thailand
3. South America (North of Chile) 13. Vietnam
4. South America (Chile) 14. China
5. New Zealand 15. Japan
6. East Australia 16. Korea / Russia
7. North Australia 17. Central Pacific Islands
8. West Australia 18. United States (Alaska)
9. New Guinea 19. Canada
10. Philippines 20. United States (Contiguous)

Respondents provided information on 16 taxonomic categories.
1. Porifera 9. Chondricthyes
2. Cnidaria 10. Osteicthyes
3. Echinodermata 11. Reptilia
4. Brachiopoda 12. Amphibia
5. Annelida 13. Aves
6. Arthropoda 14. Mammalia
7. Mollusca 15. Protista
8. Other Invertebrata 16. Plants / Algae

Collections material were also broken down into two groups, present or
paleontological. For collections of organisms living in the present,
respondents indicated the habitat category of the specimens.
1. Terrestrial
2. Intertidal Marine
3. Subtidal Marine

Paleontological collections were categorized by geological time units.
1. Quaternary 8. Carboniferous
2. Neogene 9. Devonian
3. Paleogene 10. Silurian
4. Cretaceous 11. Ordovician
5. Jurassic 12. Cambrian
6. Triassic 13. Precambrian
7. Permian

In addition to the above information, they collected general information
about the responding institutions.
1. Name and Address of Museum
2. Name of Parent Institution
3. Name, Phone, Fax, and E-Mail of Contact at Museum

The Pacifc Rim Biodiversity Catalog is somewhat broad in nature, but should
be of considerable use to interested scientists, conservationists and policy
planners. The aim is to increase the efficiency with which information on
Pacific Rim natural history is exchanged. Please direct comments and
suggestions to Allen G. Collins.