University of Hawaiʻi (Lyon Arboretum)

The Lyon Arboretum's Seed Conservation Lab at the University of Hawaii will implement a collections digitization project to generate and publicize three-dimensional microscope images of the collections. This project includes purchasing specialized equipment and associated computer hardware and software to create z-stacked microscope images of over 600 species, including 300 threatened and endangered species and 10 species that are extinct in the wild; compiling seed mass data associated with microscope images; and generating physical and digital displays of microscope images to highlight the morphological and structural diversity of Hawaiian seeds. By making this inaccessible seed collection visible to the public, researchers will raise awareness of species that are on the brink of extinction, promote seed and conservation research, help connect people to traditional Hawaiian culture, and help preserve Hawaii's cultural and ecological heritage.