Interdisciplinary Research Projects
The National Museum of Natural History supports a wide variety of interdisciplinary research projects, which draw together researchers from throughout the Museum and the world. These programs address topics of current societal importance such as terrestrial and marine biological diversity, global climate change, genetic research, and ecosystem modeling.
James Tyler with plankton scoop off the coast of
Belize. Photo by Chip Clark
Biological Diversity Programs
Biological diversity -- the world's vast array of wildlife and plants -- is being threatened and altered by human encroachment on tropical forests, coastal marine ecosystems, and temperate environments.
Visit the Biological Diversity Programs homepages at
http://www.mnh.si.edu/biodiversity/
Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems
The purpose of this program is to document and interpret the history of terrestrial ecosystems from 400 million years ago to the present. Program scientists study the effects of environmental changes on the ecology and evolution of land plants and animals. Information from the fossil and geological record provides a unique perspective on ecological change through comparisons of past ecosystems with each other and with those of the present day. Codirectors: Anna K. Behrensmeyer and Scott L. Wing.
Visit the Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems Program site at:
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/ete/
The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
The Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) is a research center specializing in marine biodiversity and ecosystems of Florida. Research focuses on the Indian River development patterns. Research focuses on the Indian River Lagoon and the offshore waters of Florida's east central coast, with comparative studies throughout coastal Florida. The Station is a facility of the National Museum of Natural History, a part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and serves as a field station which draws up to 100 top scientists and students each year from the Smithsonian and collaborating institutions around the world. These scientists investigate the plants and animals in the ocean and Indian River Lagoon and the physical processes associated with these habitats. Information uncovered at the Marine Station is published in scientific journals and forms the basis for effective public policies, conservation efforts, sustainable resource management and enlightened development patterns.
Visit the Smithsonian Marine Station's home page at
http://www.sms.si.edu/
The Archaeobiology Program
The Archaeobiology Program focuses on the earliest domestication of plants and animals and the initial development of agricultural economies. Director: Bruce D. Smith.
Visit the The Archaeobiology Program home page at:
http://anthropology.si.edu/archaeobio/
The Arctic Studies Center
The Arctic Studies Center is dedicated to the study of arctic and subarctic peoples, cultures, and environments. The center includes an office at the Museum of History and Art in Anchorage, Alaska. Director: William W. Fitzhugh.
Visit the Arctic Studies Center's home page at http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/
The Human Origins Program
The Human Origins Program focuses on the long history of ecosystem responses to human pressures and vice versa. Museum researchers are piecing together the climatic and ecological conditions that allowed humans to evolve. Director: Richard Potts.
Associated with the Human Origins Program is Digital Darwins, an electronic museum and lab where the newest technologies allow you to enjoy, discover and compare three-dimensional digital specimens from the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and its partners.
Visit the Human Origins Program website at: http://anthropology.si.edu/humanorigins/
The Paleoindian Program
The Paleoindian Program focuses on the environmental factors that influenced the movements of peoples from Asia to the New World and the development of early hunting and gathering societies in the Americas. Director: Dennis J. Stanford.
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