I work on a variety of projects that include developing preservation and management strategies for scientific collections, obtaining and processing geological samples from coastal and marine environments, as well as performing laboratory analyses related to grain size, mineralogy, and sedimentary character.
Brian Buczkowski is the curator of collections for the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s (WHCMSC) Samples Repository in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This Samples Repository serves as the primary storage location for all geological, biological, and geochemical samples collected through USGS research by, or in the permanent custody of, the WHCMSC. Local storage facilities consist of walk-in refrigerated and frozen cold rooms, ambient temperature storage, as well as an analysis and sampling facility. Brian also participates in Bureau-wide and interagency groups, such as the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF) Advisory Group, USGS Geologic Materials Repository Working Group, and the Curators of Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples Group, tasked with curating scientific collections as well as developing scientific collections management and preservation solutions. He also serves as the curator of collections for the United States Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project, and has provided input and guidance for the development of policy and procedures for access and distribution of physical samples collected as a part of ECS research.
In addition to his duties as curator, Brian also manages the WHCMSC Sediment Analysis Laboratory: a Center-wide resource that performs analyses relating to grain size, mineralogy, and sedimentary character of samples collected by WHCMSC scientists and their partners. He is also the project manager for the usSEABED Project, contributes to the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program, serves as Co-chair of the Collections Steering Committee, and is a member of the Peer Support Worker program.
Science and Products
Scientific Collections Management
USGS scientists collect geological, geophysical, biological, hydrological, and other discipline-related specimens and samples in the conduct of their research. Federal scientific working collections are public assets and need to be well documented if they are to provide reliable and unbiased information, and potentially have value to the broader scientific community.
usSEABED
USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Samples Repository
Samples Repository Collections Inventory
Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes (MARP)
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Scientific Collections Management
USGS scientists collect geological, geophysical, biological, hydrological, and other discipline-related specimens and samples in the conduct of their research. Federal scientific working collections are public assets and need to be well documented if they are to provide reliable and unbiased information, and potentially have value to the broader scientific community.
usSEABED
usSEABED is the collaborative product of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Colorado, and other partners, and provides integrated data from small and large marine research efforts by many entities—federal and state agencies, local authorities, universities, as well as private and public consortiums.USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Samples Repository
Since 2002, the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Samples Repository (WHCMSC) has been supporting research by providing secure storage for geological, biological, and geochemical samples; maintaining organization and an active inventory of these sample collections; as well as by providing access to these collections for study and reuse. Over the years, local storage facilities have...Samples Repository Collections Inventory
The collections inventory database for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) Samples Repository is published as a USGS data release (Buczkowski and others, 2018), and is available to search online through the Samples Repository’s inventory search interface. Sample collections in the Repository can be searched and selected through a map interface...Marine Aggregate Resources and Processes (MARP)
This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated.The Marine Aggregates (Sand and Gravel Assessment) Project has developed and is implementing a scientifically rigorous series of regional studies mapping the seafloor sedimentary character and assessing marine sand and gravel resources around the United States . Results of the regional assessments will ultimately comprise a... - Data
- Multimedia
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government