Research/Collections
The Maria Mitchell Association actively conducts research and surveys on Nantucket ecology and biodiversity. Current projects include Osprey monitoring, American burying beetle recovery, dragonfly surveys, snake studies, and spider surveys. The Science Museum houses important scientific collections dating to the early 1900's. The Maria Mitchell Association also collaborates with other Nantucket conservation groups as part of the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative.
Research
Click on a link below to learn more:
Ospreys and Barn Owls
American Burying Beetle
Spiders
Earthworms and Isopods
Snake Biodiversity
Collections
The Maria Mitchell Natural Science Museum is a depository for important scientific specimens from Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget Islands. The Museum contains plants, birds (the Edith F. Andrews Ornithology Collection), marine life, mammals, and invertebrates (insects, spiders, etc.). Many of these collections were started decades ago and thus, not only do they represent important local species records, but they also
document how the species composition has changed throughout recent history. Collections can be viewed for research or educational purposes by contacting Andrew Mckenna-Foster at amckennafoster@mmo.org. Below is a breakdown of our specimens:
Herbarium (plants): 4,500
Ornithology (birds): 1,000
Mammalogy (mammals): 20
Ichthyology (fish): ~14
Invertebrates (insects, spiders, worms, millipedes, etc.):
Marine: ~20
Terrestrial: ~9,000
Shells: ~350
Fossil Shells: 66
In 2009, MMA joined in partnership with the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, MA.
Above: Specimens from the MMA Natural Science Museum Collection.
Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative
The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) is a partnership between Nantucket conservation organizations, government agencies and individuals interested in documenting the biodiversity of the islands and adjacent waters and monitoring and conserving that biodiversity over time.
This collaborative effort is being undertaken to inventory and monitor the many species of plants and animals found on Nantucket and to educate the public about the importance of protecting the rare elements that contribute to Nantucket’s rich local biodiversity.
Click here to access the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative website.