University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of 2002 Foundations for an Integrative Parasitology: Collections, Archives, and Biodiversity Informatics Eric P. Hoberg United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Bioinformatics Commons, and the Parasitology Commons Hoberg, Eric P., "Foundations for an Integrative Parasitology: Collections, Archives, and Biodiversity Informatics" (2002). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 662. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/662 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Comp. Parasitol. 69(2), 2002, pp. 124–131 President’s Symposium Foundations for an Integrative Parasitology: Collections, Archives, and Biodiversity Informatics ERIC P. H OBERG U.S. National Parasite Collection and Parasite Biology, Epidemiology and Systematics Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, BARC East No. 1180, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20715, U.S.A. (email: [email protected]) Burgeoning awareness about biodiversity em- ing invertebrate and vertebrate groups. This is phasizes the fundamental importance of museum not a lament, but simply history. Parasitology collections and the contributions of systematists has generally not been a factor in the develop- and taxonomists in documenting the structure ment or programs of most major natural history and history of the biosphere. An essential role museums, and the discipline tended to develop is served by this infrastructure in collecting, pre- along a divergent track, to become dominated paring, analyzing, and disseminating informa- by private or personal collections. Over time, tion about the specimens that represent species, and particularly in the last 25 yr, this dispersed document a range of complex biological asso- infrastructure has contributed to an incremental ciations from symbioses to parasitism, and form erosion by attrition of our systematics knowl- the tapestry and the myriad facets of biodiversity edge and expertise. Further, the tradition of often (e.g., Wilson, 2000). As parasitologists we can closely held, large personal collections has lim- examine how we may contribute to this broader ited the communication, progress, and growth of documentation and understanding of global bio- a cohesive systematics community and has now diversity, and we can articulate and communi- exacerbated the challenge to provide curatorial cate our role as vital participants to a larger services and databasing for an increasing num- community (e.g., Brooks and Hoberg, 2000, ber of significant orphan collections. Only 4 ma- 2001). This becomes increasingly important as jor repositories or specimens-based collections we continue to recognize that the effects of par- of zooparasites now exist in North America, 3 asites on humans, domestic animal food resourc- serving endoparasites, and 1 focusing on arthro- es, and wild biodiversity are a major interna- pod ectoparasites (Lichtenfels, 1994), and a crit- tional concern in this time of dynamic environ- ical mass for research infrastructure diminishes mental change. At the international level para- annually. sites are now viewed as significant components We can recognize that parasitology has made of biodiversity that must be included in plans for seminal contributions to our understanding of survey and inventory, conservation, and other the structure and history of the biosphere (sum- national needs focused on understanding envi- marized in part in Brooks and McLennan, 1993; ronmental integrity and ecosystem function Hoberg, 1997a). Parasitologists can choose to (e.g., Just, 1998; Pe´rez-Ponce de Leo´n and Gar- build on the nexus between biodiversity studies cia-Prieto, 2001a, b, and references therein). and parasitology and concurrently construct a Although a core number of museum and in- necessary infrastructure that enhances the im- stitutional collections have been vital for the de- pact of museum collections and affords the ex- velopment of parasitology in North America, in pansion of opportunities for future generations the broader museum community there has been of systematists and taxonomists. Of course, this a relatively limited presence of systematists and is not the only future for parasitology, but 1 sig- taxonomists focusing on parasitic taxa. Addi- nificant cornerstone that emphasizes our classi- tionally, in North America there has not been a cal contributions while building a modern and longstanding tradition for support and develop- cutting edge tool kit for exploration and discov- ment of museum collections, resources, and cu- ery. Parasitology must reaffirm its commitment ratorial positions for parasitology on the scale to systematics; otherwise, the future of parasite evident for programs focusing on many free-liv- systematics will be decided by nonparasitolo- 124 HOBERG—PARASITE COLLECTIONS AND BIODIVERSITY 125 gists. In this context, comments herein will be source for systematic, taxonomic, and diagnostic focused on several areas: 1) resources and infra- ecological and epidemiological research in par- structure for museum collections, with particular asitology has been continuously maintained by focus on the history and dual roles and respon- the USDA for over 100 yr (Lichtenfels et al., sibilities of the Agricultural Research Service 1992; Lichtenfels, 1994; Lichtenfels et al., (ARS) and the U.S. National Parasite Collection 1998). The USNPC has served as a critical re- (USNPC); 2) biodiversity and systematics as es- source for all aspects of parasitology in North sential foundations for research in parasitology America and globally and provides the founda- (e.g., Brooks and Hoberg, 2000); 3) the evolu- tion for all programs within the ARS and else- tion of collections from static repositories to where that deal with the systematics and tax- functional information systems in the realm of onomy of agriculturally and economically sig- biodiversity bioinformatics (e.g., Blackmore, nificant helminthic and protozoan parasites. The 1996; Bisby, 2000; Edwards et al., 2000); and scope and depth of the Collection are unparal- 4) examination of the challenges and opportu- leled in North America. The current holdings are nities facing parasitology in responding to the substantial, and the collection is among the larg- needs of science and society. est in the world (in excess of 100,000 lots, and over 20 million individual specimens; 3,000 ho- THE USNPC: A CENTURY OF SERVICE lotypes, 7,000 type series) and accumulates The ARS of the U.S. Department of Agricul- about 1,000–1,500 new lots of specimens an- ture (USDA) has been the home for mission- nually. A primary role of the USNPC is acqui- oriented and problem-solving research on para- sition, curation, and long-term maintenance of sites and pathogens that directly or indirectly the specimens-based collections, and develop- threaten animal health, food safety, and the en- ment and expansion of the collections database vironment. A core facility within the current lab- as an irreplaceable national archive. The speci- oratory structure is the USNPC located at the men collection is linked to extensive documen- Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Re- tation of host occurrence, geographic range, and search Center near Washington, D.C. other core data with which to assess the current Since 1892 the parasitological collections and historical distribution of parasites and path- held by the USDA have been the focus for de- ogens, with a database accessed through the In- velopment of knowledge about the distribution ternet (http://www.anri.barc.usda.gov/pbesl). of parasites, pathogens, and diseases (Lichten- A uniquely federal role is served by the Col- fels et al., 1992, 1998). The evolution of these lection as a center for diagnostics, identification, collections has followed the expansion of re- and dissemination of information. Parasitologists search programs targeted to solve a number of in the ARS and others working in veterinary, emerging problems for agriculture during the medical, and wildlife parasitology have access last century. Concurrently, what is now the to the necessary specimens and database to con- USNPC became the focal point for field-based duct studies on the identification, classification, and empirical research emphasizing survey and and distribution of parasitic helminths and pro- inventory, systematics, biogeography, and ecol- tozoans. The specimens collections, accumulat- ogy among a diverse assemblage of helminth ed over 150 yr, are a historical baseline and re- and protozoan parasites of vertebrates and con- source for biodiversity research globally. The tributed to experimental studies to address the collection is the foundation for proactive pro- biology of an array of economically significant grams, prediction, and prevention with respect parasites. Thus, over the past century, the to parasites and pathogens