The CARDUME initiative: integrating Brazil’s scientific fish collections to promote research and biodiversity conservation

Abstract Brazil hosts the highest fish diversity globally, underscoring the critical role of Brazilian Scientific Fish Collections (BSFCs) in biodiversity research and conservation. Despite their importance, BSFCs face persistent challenges. This study introduces the CARDUME network, the first nationwide initiative to assess BSFCs and propose strategies to enhance their role in ichthyology. Data from 74 collections across 25 Brazilian federal units reveal that most are affiliated with public universities and house 8 502 992 catalogued specimens in 906 890 lots, including over 2600 primary types. Although digitization efforts are underway in 92% of BSFCs, only 37% currently share data online. Genetic resources are severely limited, with tissue samples available for just 3% of specimens. Significant funding disparities exist, with 70% of collections receiving less than USD170 annually. Gender inequality is also notable, with more male-curated than female-curated collections. Survey responses highlighted issues such as staff shortages, inadequate facilities, and limited resources for fieldwork and collection curation. CARDUME aims to address these gaps through ­collaboration, professional training, improvement of data quality, and increase of shared data, while also advocating for recognition by Brazilian institutions, funding agencies, and the government. O resumo em português está disponível no material suplementar.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Published
2025-08-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf088
Primary Topic
Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
Type
article
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article

The CARDUME initiative: integrating Brazil’s scientific fish collections to promote research and biodiversity conservation

Lucena Rocha Virgílio, Solange Aparecida Arrolho da Silva, Cláudio Alvarenga de Oliveira, José Luís Olivan Birindelli et al.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
article

The CARDUME initiative: integrating Brazil’s scientific fish collections to promote research and biodiversity conservation

Lucena Rocha Virgílio, Solange Aparecida Arrolho da Silva, Cláudio Alvarenga de Oliveira, José Luís Olivan Birindelli, Francisco Langeani, Luiz Fernando Duboc, Mark H. Sabaj, Luiz Roberto Malabarba, Davi Lima Pantoja, Larissa Rosa de Oliveira, Wilson J. E. M. Costa, Augusto Luís Bentinho Silva, Yzél Rondon Súarez, Carolina Rodrigues da Costa Dória, Úrsula Arend, Renata Rúbia Ota, Aléssio Datovo, George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox, Flávio A. Bockmann, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag, Wolmar Benjamin Wosiacki, Marcelo Fulgêncio Guedes de Brito, Nathalie Kaladinsky Citeli, Fabíola Seabra Machado, Fernando Camargo Jerep, Maria Luiza Flaquer da Rocha, Alexandre C. Ribeiro, Daniela Cristina Ferreira, Michael Maia Mincarone, Silvia Maria Millan Gutierre, Liana Johann, Cecile de Souza Gama, Paulo dos Santos Pompeu, Cristiano R. Moreira, Angela Maria Zanata, Ricardo de Souza Rosa, Lúcia Helena Rapp Py‐Daniel, Flávio César Thadeo de Lima, Frank Raynner Vasconcelos Ribeiro, Francisco Gerson Araújo, Vicente Vieira Faria, Marcelo Ândrade, Karla D. A. Soares, Sílvia Helena Lima Schwamborn, Leandro Melo de Sousa, Patrícia Avello Nicola, Hamilton Pereira Santos, Rafael Magno Costa Melo, Alexandre Clístenes de Alcântara Santos, Roberto Esser dos Reis, Paulo Andreas Buckup, Lucas Pires de Oliveira, Nivaldo Magalhães Piorski, Paulo H. F. Lucinda, Maria Elina Bichuette, Ana Cristina Teixeira Bonecker, Fernando César Paiva Dagosta, Vinicius de Araújo Bertaco, Mário C. C. de Pinna, Oscar Akio Shibatta, Mário Katsuragawa, Ângela S. Chaves, Carla Simone Pavanelli, Lílian Casatti, Katiane M. Ferreira, Diego Maia Zacardi, Manoela Marinho, Priscila Camelier, Karina de Cassia Faria, Carlos Alberto Santos de Lucena, Francisco de Paula Severo da Costa Neto, Heleno Brandão, Lucas Colares, André Netto-Ferreira, Murilo Nogueira de Lima Pastana, Thiago Mahlmann, Rafaela Priscila Ota, Paulo Roberto Duarte Lopes, Veronica Slobodian, Mauro César Lambert de Brito Ribeiro, André Luiz Henríques Esguícero, Fábio Di Dario, Fernando Rogério Carvalho, Maria José Alencar Vilela, Alexandre Kannebley de Oliveira, Márcio Joaquim da Silva, Thiago Nilton Alves Pereira, Fernanda Atanaena Gonçalves de Andrade, Alessandro Marques, Marcelo R. Britto, Chaiane Teila Iaeger, Vinícius Abilhôa, Marcelo Roberto Souto de Melo, Sergio Maia Queiroz Lima, Viviana Márquez Velásquez, Carine C. Chamon, Filipe Augusto Gonçalves de Melo, João Paulo Capretz Batista Da Silva, Tiago Debona, Agostinho Carlos Catella, Juliano Ferrer, Luiz Henrique Garcia Pereira, Maria de Lourdes Zani‐Teixeira, Chryss Ferreira Macêdo, Elisabeth Henschel, Rozane Maria Restello, Gilmar B. Santos, Lucélia Nobre Carvalho, Gabriel B M Beltrão, Alana Cioato, Matheus M Froes
article en

Abstract

Abstract Brazil hosts the highest fish diversity globally, underscoring the critical role of Brazilian Scientific Fish Collections (BSFCs) in biodiversity research and conservation. Despite their importance, BSFCs face persistent challenges. This study introduces the CARDUME network, the first nationwide initiative to assess BSFCs and propose strategies to enhance their role in ichthyology. Data from 74 collections across 25 Brazilian federal units reveal that most are affiliated with public universities and house 8 502 992 catalogued specimens in 906 890 lots, including over 2600 primary types. Although digitization efforts are underway in 92% of BSFCs, only 37% currently share data online. Genetic resources are severely limited, with tissue samples available for just 3% of specimens. Significant funding disparities exist, with 70% of collections receiving less than USD170 annually. Gender inequality is also notable, with more male-curated than female-curated collections. Survey responses highlighted issues such as staff shortages, inadequate facilities, and limited resources for fieldwork and collection curation. CARDUME aims to address these gaps through ­collaboration, professional training, improvement of data quality, and increase of shared data, while also advocating for recognition by Brazilian institutions, funding agencies, and the government. O resumo em português está disponível no material suplementar.

Biological Journal of the Linnean SocietyVol. 146(3)
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (BR), Universidade Federal de Rondônia (BR), Universidade Estadual de Maringá (BR), Universidade Federal da Bahia (BR), Universidade Estadual de Londrina (BR), Univates (BR), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (BR), Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (BR), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (BR), Universidade Federal de Lavras (BR), Universidade Federal do Acre (BR), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (BR), Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (BR), Universidade Federal de Viçosa (BR), Universidade de Brasília (BR), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (BR), Universidade Federal da Paraíba (BR), Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (BR), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (BR), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR), Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (BR), Universidade Federal de Sergipe (BR), Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (BR), Universidade do Estado do Pará (BR), Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (BR), Instituto Federal do Paraná (BR), Universidade Federal do Ceará (BR), Universidade Católica de Brasília (BR), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (BR), Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (BR), Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (BR), Universidade de Caxias do Sul (BR), Universidade Federal do Piauí (BR), Universidade Estadual do Piauí (BR), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (BR), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (BR), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Federal do Tocantins (BR), Universidade do Tocantins (BR), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará (BR), Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada del Ecuador (EC), Universidade de Sorocaba (BR), Museu da Amazonia (BR), Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), São Paulo Museum of Art (BR), Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (BR), Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (BR), Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (BR), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), Universidade Federal do Maranhão (BR), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (BR), Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (BR), Universidade Federal do Pará (BR), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (BR), Drexel University (US), Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
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