LAUSR

Around the world, natural history museums are shuttered and reeling. In March, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City reduced its staff by 20%, furloughed another 250, and cut the hours of many of the rest. Two months later, the California Academy of Sciences announced it was furloughing or laying off 40% of its staff. Museums9 reliance on revenue from ticket sales and events makes them among the first scientific institutions to feel the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their long-term health is now threatened. But the crisis is also spurring museums to adopt or expand practices that, though they may not restore lost revenue, are keeping the public engaged and research ticking: an online biodiversity contest, public discussions on Zoom, a webcam streaming captive corals. Curators are also expanding and refining digital collections that are accessible to both the public and homebound researchers. Some leaders say these changes are needed and now are happening faster than they would have otherwise.