The Marine Biotechnology Reference Collection (MBRC) at HBOI-FAU is a unique collection of more than 30,000 marine specimens from at least 13 phyla. Although the collections were focused on accessing biodiversity for marine natural products research, these efforts resulted in a taxonomically and geographically diverse collection of benthic marine invertebrates and macroalgae. Recognizing the need to have appropriate voucher specimens to identify the organisms from which bioactive molecules were derived, an extensive taxonomic reference collection was established. Collections are documented with field notes, photos, videos, and taxonomic vouchers. The MBRC is unique among marine specimen collections: nearly 30% of the specimens were selectively collected with the Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles at depths from 150 to 914 m, at locations that are difficult to access due to geography and habitat. Many of the deep-water species have never been photographed in situ previously, so the archives provide a unique resource for new species descriptions. There are representatives of the same species collected from different locations and depths for more than 30 years, providing an opportunity to study changes over time and under different environmental conditions. To secure and improve access to this specimen-based, vouchered, and well-documented natural history collection, a web-accessible database has been created to serve a broad community of biological researchers. Digitizing biological collections and publishing them on the web greatly expands the availability and impact of the collection beyond the scope of a project-based repository. The data will be made publicly available through the HBOI-FAU website and through iDigBio.