HISTORY ACCOUNT OF THE MUSEUM OF FAUNA AND FLORA OF THE WORLD OCEAN OF KERCH BRANCH FSBSI "AZNIIRKH" AND SUGGESTIONS ON ITS DEVELOPMENT
The 60th anniversary of the Museum of Fauna and Flora of the World Ocean in the Kerch Branch of FSBSI “AzNIIRKH” is due in 2019. The foundation for the first exhibition was laid in 1959, when its only exhibits were formalin-fixed specimens of the commercial fish from the Azov and Black Seas. The exhibits of oceanic origin (sawfish, loggerhead sea turtle, etc.) were collected during the first expedition of Kerch fishermen on board of a large fishing freezer trawler “Zhukovskiy” in the Eastern Atlantic in 1958. The main part of the museum collection was established in the 1960-1980s; it consisted of the exhibits, collected from the numerous expeditions operating in the Indian Ocean and Antarctic during that period. Initially, the exhibition was temporarily placed in the AzCherNIRO lobby and corridors; however, the planned construction of a customized museum building was not carried into effect. From September, 2017 to March, 2018, the museum collections were relocated to the assembly hall of the institute. Today, over 1200 exhibits from the Azov and Black Seas Basin, Mediterranean, White and Red Seas, from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as Antarctic waters are displayed in the museum collections. Thegrea test contribution to the museum collections was made by A.G. Grobov, E.P. Gubanov, V.F. Demidov, N.A. Ivanin, V.N. Chikov, K.P. Yanulov and other scientists. It is intended to change the museum status as a result of its upcoming registration according to the requirements of the Ministry of Culture. The most important goal is to restore and renovate the exhibits, prepared in the late 1960-1970s. Creation of a scientific unit - the Department of Taxonomy and Faunology of the Azov and Black Seas Basin and the World Ocean - within the museum structure is also of immediate interest; it will make it possible to assemble a unique collection of fish and non-finfish specimens of the Azov and Black Seas Basin and of invading species. It is also suggested to expand the museum collection with the exhibits that involve multi- scale activities and practices of the institute as well as achievements of the national fishery science and fishing operations.