The Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo has been carrying out, for over half a century, important research in the marine environment, from coastal areas to deep waters, from the north to the south of Brazil, in addition to the Antarctic region. During this extended period, many sampling campaigns were carried out, employing various collection methods on different floating working platforms, such as N/Oc. “Prof. W. Besnard” which counted about 8,200 oceanographic stations. Most of these with collections of biological samples accompanied by the record of hydrographic, sedimentological and meteorological data. This series of projects resulted in an immense volume of data and biological samples that constitute an invaluable collection for Brazilian marine research and which, currently, are stored in the Biological Collection “Prof. Edmundo F. Nonato” (ColBIO), inaugurated in 2012. Additionally, this heritage, obtained with high public investments over many years, serves as a reference and testimony for studies and policies on the conservation of the biodiversity of marine organisms and environments. The Biological Collection “Prof. Edmundo F. Nonato” at IOUSP has a huge amount of cataloged samples made available for research. Its collection consists of four categories: 1. Biological samples; 2. Non-biological materials; 3. Electronic database – information about the collection (project, latitude, longitude, depth, device used, date), about the sample (access, location in the collection, biological community, type of preservation, cataloging date, catalog number), on the associated environmental variables (temperature, salinity, type of bottom, etc.) and, when identified, on the taxonomic levels (phylum, class, order, etc.) – and 4. Image bank of marine organisms.
