Curators Gary Williams and Terry Gosliner have taken part in several marine expeditions with international groups of biologists and underwater photographers since the 1990s. SCUBA diving operations and field research were recently conducted in the regions of the Calumpan Peninsula and Maricaban Island in southwestern Luzon. Substantial collections of octocorals and opisthobanchs were made with the cooperation of biologists from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Manila. The material was brought back to Academy and curated for the IZG collections, for use in research dealing with systematics, phylogenetics, biogeography, and global biodiversity. These field research sites have served as the model for the Academy's Philippine coral reef tank in Steinhart Aquarium.
