Collections & Data

With 38 million specimens (objects from nature) our Institute’s collections are the third largest in Europe, just after those of the London and Paris museums, and are amongst the largest in the world.

Our natural history collections are the result of many decades of exploration and research. The scientific community is using collections like these to answer important questions about the past, present and future of our planet and life on Earth.
 

Biological collections can be a starting point for studies on biodiversity loss, climate change, invasive species and the vectors of diseases. Palaeontological collections help reconstruct the impact of environmental changes on fauna and flora of long ago. Geological collections help to map the underground and identify sustainable resources in the transition to a green society. 

For several years now, the RBINS has been committed to an ambitious program to digitiseits collections. Our Institute also manages large databases, resulting from monitoring and other research activities and available for new studies, as well as an ever-growing frozen collection of tissues and molecules.