GEO&BIO: broadening the lens by integrating Earth sciences and ecology with museum data

[Ковальчук, О., Баркасі, З., Дернов, В., Король, Е., Коробченко, М. GEO&BIO: розширення перспективи через інтеграцію наук про Землю та екології з музейними даними]

Oleksandr Kovalchuk^1,2,3,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-208X

Zoltán Barkaszi^1,4,https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3155-6362

Vitaliy Dernov^1,5,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5873-394X

Eleonora Korol¹,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4061-5179

Marina Korobchenko¹,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1063-482X

¹ National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

² Department of Palaeozoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław (Wrocław, Poland)

³ A. S. Makarenko Sumy State Pedagogical University (Sumy, Ukraine)

⁴ John von Neumann University (Kecskemét, Hungary)

⁵ Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Cite as

Kovalchuk, O., Barkaszi, Z., Dernov, V., Korol, E., & Korobchenko, M. (2026). GEO&BIO: broadening the lens by integrating Earth sciences and ecology with museum data. GEO&BIO, 28, 3-6.

doi: https://doi.org/10.53452/gb2801

pdf: G&B №28-2026_3-6_Kovalchuk.pdf

Abstract

This editorial outlines the renewed vision and scope of GEO&BIO, a journal dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research at the interface of Earth sciences, ecology, and museum-based data. Building on its long-standing role as a repository of natural history knowledge, the journal now emphasises integrative approaches that connect geological frameworks, ecological processes, and natural history collections to better understand environmental change across temporal and spatial scales. We highlight the growing need for synthesis-driven research that bridges traditionally separate disciplines, demonstrating how geological settings underpin ecosystems while ecological dynamics, in turn, leave measurable signatures in the geological record. Particular attention is given to the expanding role of natural history museums as dynamic research infrastructures. Their collections are reframed as ‘time capsules’ that provide invaluable baselines for reconstructing past environments, tracking biodiversity change, and informing future projections. The editorial advocates for the integration of specimen-based data with geochemical, stratigraphic, and ecological datasets, supported by digitisation, standardisation, and open data practices. In parallel, GEO&BIO introduces updated editorial policies aimed at enhancing transparency, reproducibility, and international accessibility, while actively supporting early-career researchers. By encouraging rigorous documentation, data sharing, and methodological clarity, the journal seeks to facilitate cumulative and globally relevant research. Ultimately, GEO&BIO positions itself as a platform for fostering a holistic understanding of the Earth system, promoting collaboration across disciplines, and contributing to solutions for contemporary environmental challenges.

Key words

Earth sciences, ecology, interdisciplinary research, natural history museums, collections, global change

Correspondence to: Oleksandr Kovalchuk; National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 15 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, Kyiv 01054, Ukraine; e-mail: biologiest@ukr.net

Article info

Submitted: 11.04.2026. Accepted: 12.04.2026

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