One of the key aspects of the RESTORESEAS project is fostering collaboration among partners. This approach has proven invaluable for sharing insights from different ecosystems. At UGent, we focus on using microbiomes to enhance the restoration success of kelp. However, since little is known about the role of bacteria in seaweed restoration, we have relied on the work of our partners, who study focal organisms like corals and seagrasses.

Our collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Vienna (NHMW) began when NHMW scientists visited Ghent, Belgium, for a workshop on DNA analysis and how best to characterize the bacterial communities associated with our focal organisms. This visit laid the foundation for a strong partnership between UGent and NHMW.

During my recent visit to Vienna, I seized the opportunity to reconnect with the NHMW scientists. Pedro Frade, a researcher working on deep-sea coral restoration and a curator at the museum, offered me a behind-the-scenes tour of the Natural History Museum.

The Natural History Museum in Vienna is a remarkable institution, boasting extensive mineral and dinosaur collections, the famous Venus von Willendorf statue, and an innovative experimental space called ‘Deck 50,’ where visitors can engage in hands-on research. Pedro showed me a selection of the 30 million specimens housed within the museum. Many of these objects are not on public display and are stored in the museum’s vast network of cupboards lining the corridors above, along and below the main exhibition halls. These collections serve as a historical source of information, potentially containing many undescribed species, while also providing opportunities for cutting-edge research. For example, researchers from the European Space Agency have requested access to the museum’s echinoderm collections to improve the engineering (rigidity and light weight) of spacecraft.

Pedro also highlighted the challenges of maintaining and preserving these vast collections. The historical building offers limited flexibility for safely housing the ever-growing number of specimens, and rising temperatures accelerate the evaporation of preservatives.

Pedro emphasized the museum’s crucial role in bridging the gap between history and the future, showcasing how historical collections can inform modern research and innovation.

Written by Willem Stock, UGENT