Position Statement on the vital role of biological collections in biodiversity conservation

NHMCs are essential for supporting taxonomy, the scientific discipline which provides the universal naming system, without which a species cannot be protected, and are pivotal in conservation planning, disease surveillance, climate change research, and the documentation of extinction. However, the crucial role of NHMCs is often under-valued and their potential under-supported. The purpose of this document is 1) to outline SSC’s position on the indispensable roles played by NHMCs in species conservation and scientific discovery, 2) to urge governments, universities, and agencies to prioritize and fund these collections as critical scientific infrastructures, and 3) to encourage the global conservation community to fully integrate the resources and expertise of NHMCs into a collaborative strategy to reverse biodiversity decline.