Outreach & Resources
Connecting Communities with Molluscan Science
The Bishop Museum’s Malacology Department opens doors to one of the world’s most significant molluscan biodiversity collections. With over 6 million specimens spanning the Pacific and beyond, we serve as a vital resource for researchers, educators, students, and conservation advocates worldwide.
Quick Guides
Researchers from the Malacology Department and the Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity at Bishop Museum have developed quick guides of some of the native and invasive land and freshwater snails (which includes slugs) that you may encounter in Hawaiʻi.
SnailBlazers Game
Hawaiian land snails are among the world’s most diverse, with 756 species found only in Hawai‘i. Today, only about 300 remain, and up to 100 could vanish in the next decade without stronger conservation. To raise awareness, Bishop Museum intern Andy Huang created a trading card game featuring living, extinct, and non-native snails, with each card showing their rarity, location, and fun facts.
Educational Opportunities
The National Science Foundation has awarded the Bishop Museum and partners in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HDOE), ʻIolani’s Community Science program, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa a three-year BIORETS Site award. This BIORETS Site (Research Experiences for Advancing Curriculum on Hawaiian Ecosystem Sciences) award to Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii will support the training of eight teachers each year for seven weeks during the summer and at least two weeks during the academic year.
Explore our extensive collection through the PILSBRy Portal (Pacific Island Land Snail Biodiversity Repository), supported by the National Science Foundation. Our digitized database provides open access to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine specimen records from across the Pacific.
Search the PILSBRy Database → Select “Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum” under collections
Research Visits & Specimen Loans
We welcome researchers and institutions to utilize our collection for scientific study. Our curatorial team facilitates access to specimens for qualified research projects.
Terrestrial Molluscs
Dr. Norine W. Yeung
[Contact for terrestrial specimens → norine@bishopmuseum.org]
Be a Part of Our Story
Celebrate the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific with a gift to Bishop Museum. As a partner in the Museum’s work, you can help to sustain vital collections, research, and knowledge, and inspire exploration and discovery with a tax-deductible donation.