Collection Enhancement Project

An exciting mass digitisation project that aims to digitally capture and provide access to the Australian Museum’s vast collections.

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Mineralogy and Petrology

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) X-Ray

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Marine Invertebrates and Malacology

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Entomology

The Collection Enhancement Project (CEP), which commenced in 2020, is the Australian Museum’s digitisation project that aims to provide digital access to the Museum’s diverse natural science collections.

These collections consist of an estimated 22 million specimens but not all of them have a digital record. A vast majority of them are not accessible without visiting the museum in person. Digitisation enables us to break down this barrier.

What are the CEP priorities?

Registering

Transferring specimen information into our database
Imaging

2D and 3D imaging, CT scans and x-rays of high value specimens
Barcoding

Adding barcodes to specimens and their locations

Digitisation of the Australian Museum collections is important. By mobilising our digitised data we are able to give scientists, policy makers, environmental planners and land managers, industry and the general public access to it. By giving access to our data it can inform scientists and planners and help them understand, manage and conserve biodiversity.

How can these data and images be used?

The data we are digitising includes species names, specimen collection dates and places, publication citations and storage details.

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Barcoding Birds

Within the museum this can help us:

Track specimens as they travel through the museum from storage, to
photo studios, to education rooms, to conservation labs.
Quickly locate specimens to satisfy research inquiries or send them
out on loan.

Outside the museum, these data and images can:

Help researchers identify species by comparing morphological or
genetic characters.
Improve our understanding of Australian species distributions

Behind the scenes of the Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Entomology at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Behind the scenes of the Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) - Mineralogy and Petrology at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Barcoding of bird specimens in the Ornithology Collection as part of the Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Collections Enhancement Project (CEP), inside the DigiVol Lab

Inside the DigiVol Lab, the volunteer citizen scientist digitisation project at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Barcoding of bird specimens in the Ornithology Collection as part of the Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Behind the scenes imagery of the Collections Enhancement Project (CEP) of Entomology at the Australian Museum. Image: Louise Reily
© Australian Museum

Learn more about our collections

Australian Museum collections

The Australian Museum has spent more than 190 years building a vast collection of over 21.9 million objects and specimens alongside an enviable reputation for world-leading science.

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives

Learn more

VIP Opening of New Pacific Gallery, Wansolmoana

Cultural Collection Enhancement Project

Cultural Collection Enhancement is a First Nations led digitisation program of collection management works built on cultural engagement and best practice principles.

Cultural collections digitisation

Find out more

DigiVol

Join thousands of citizen scientists digitising Australian Museum's collection of 21 million specimens. Help preserve natural history from home or onsite at DigiVol Lab.

DigiVol Lab
DigiVol Online

Get involved

Collection Enhancement Project staff

News stories

X-ray of I.51711-001, Twin butterflyfish, <i>Prognathodes geminud</i>.

X-ray vision: Secrets of the unknown

What do you associate x-rays with? Medical or dental appointments? Long waits at airport security? It may be surprising to know that x-rays are vital in uncovering and examining the interior of objects and specimens in museums. Discover what secrets x-rays have revealed at the Australian Museum!