[Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records

Tue May 22 12:34:58 EDT 2018

Lance's bottom-line question was:

" To accession, or not to accession?  How do we balance the risk of
preserving high *quality* data while at the same documenting potentially
important events like this? "

Rather than "not cataloging ... not publishing" (per Curtis) the photo
record, and/or "adding the phot to iNaturalist" (per Mike), how about
simply properly documenting the accession with the known information (incl.
its apparent deficiencies), and allow others to determine for themselves
what relevance or importance to give to the accession?

Are we building accession-based information systems which are not designed
to accommodate (document) details about the reliability / quality / suspect
nature of those accessions; the argument that "we" should only accession
material that is in some limited sense "pure", "unverifiable" (in some
senses only, which could itself be highlighted in the accession record),
seems to be more of a go-no-go threshold to apply to a deficiently-designed
information system --one that can not work with less-than-perfect
information.

There exists a photo which depicts a frog with a possibly-reliable
determination that can potentially document the occurrence of that specimen
(and potentially, species) out-of-range, and likely / possibly due to a
dispersal mechanism that we know from experience has had serious ecological
consequences for our native biota.   THAT is "high quality" data, though it
may not be describing, e.g., specimens which are more commonly preserved in
biological collections.  Can our biodiversity collections not accommodate
such easily-described and potentially valuable photographs?

Peter

On Mon, May 21, 2018 at 4:21 PM, Mike Rutherford <
Mike.Rutherford at sta.uwi.edu> wrote:

> As an alternative way of preserving the record for posterity why not add
> the photo to iNaturalist? Research Grade records(i.e. ones that have been
> verified by others) are shared by iNaturalist with GBIF so the record would
> be widely accessible. This way you could share the data without
> compromising your collection standards.
>
>
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
>
> *Mr. Mike G. Rutherford*
> Curator of the University of the West Indies Zoology Museum (UWIZM)
> Department of Life Sciences
>
> *The University of The West Indies St. Augustine Campus*
>
> *Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.*
> T: (Office) 868-662-2002 ext 82231
> T: (Mobile) 868-329-8401
>
> E: mike.rutherford at sta.uwi.edu
>
> S: mike.g.rutherford
>
>
> Find us on
>
> Website: www.sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/uwi-zoology-museum
>
> Facebook: www.facebook.com/uwizoologymuseum
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>
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> *From:* Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] *On Behalf Of
> *Curtis Schmidt
> *Sent:* Monday, 21 May 2018 18:28
> *To:* Lance McBrayer <lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu>;
> nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records
>
>
>
> Lance,
>
>
>
> What kept the individual from collecting the non-native species in the
> first place? I would certainly caution against cataloging an unverifiable
> photograph because, as you mention, it promotes bad science and poor
> quality data. It would be different if it was an endangered species, but I
> see a photograph of very little value in this particular situation. I
> personally am an advocate of not publishing records based on photographs
> unless the animals are protected. This is becoming an all too common
> practice that is irresponsible IMHO. I hope this helps.
>
>
>
> Curtis
>
> _________________________________
>
>
>
> Curtis J. Schmidt
>
>     Zoological Collections Manager
>
>     Sternberg Museum of Natural History
>
>
>
>     Instructor
>
>     Department of Biological Sciences
>
>     Fort Hays State University
>
>
>
>     3000 Sternberg Drive
>
>     Hays, KS  67601
>
>     785-650-2447 (cell)
>
> ________________________________
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Lance
> McBrayer <lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu>
> *Sent:* Monday, May 21, 2018 3:21:24 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records
>
>
>
> All
>
>
>
> I curate a herpetology collection of about 35,000 specimens, almost all of
> which are actual specimens. However, I also take definitive photographs
> such that there is little to no question about the species in the
> photograph. I am aware of the debate on the value of photographic records,
> but I've come into an interesting situation.
>
>
>
> Recently, a collector I do not know asked to voucher a photograph of an
> invasive species of tropical frog that is established in Florida, and now
> Georgia and several other states.  Yet this record is from Massachusetts.
> Furthermore, the specimen was photographed in a potted plant in a national
> chain store of lumber and hardware...in February of 2018.
>
>
>
> Clearly the frog was brought there in or on the plant(s). But as such,
> this record is potentially valuable. This tropical frog species is very
> likely to have died in the harsh MA winter....but it does well cohabitating
> with humans...so maybe not. And the store is literally next to a major
> river. So, if it does survive and disperse, it could move lots of places
> quickly.
>
>
>
> I have contacted four other very knowledgeable herpetologists to confirm
> my identification, and that of the collector. We all agree it "looks like"
> the same species; i.e. all five of us agree on the identification.
>
>
>
> To accession, or not to accession?  How do we balance the risk of
> preserving high *quality* data while at the same documenting potentially
> important events like this?
>
>
>
> Thanks for your insights.
>
> lm
>
>
>
> --
>
> Lance D. McBrayer
>
> Associate Dean of Faculty & Research Programs
>
> College of Science and Mathematics
>
> Georgia Southern University
>
> TEL: 912.478.5111
>
> *Webpage
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