ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Dutch and Antillean researchers have joined forces to study the natural environment of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao through the new ABC-NHC project. The initiative combines historical natural collections, some centuries old, with high-tech tools like image recognition and DNA barcoding.
The project aims to make historical biodiversity collections more accessible, identify previously unrecorded species, and support conservation efforts across the Caribbean islands. Students from Aruba and Curaçao are receiving training in database management, barcoding, and digital documentation. The collected data will feed into a comprehensive guidebook, The Biodiversity of the ABC Islands.
ABC-NHC focuses on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, offering a “time machine” view of past biodiversity and contributing to long-term conservation and research infrastructure in Aruba and neighboring islands.
