[Nhcoll-l] Cataloging unidentified, multi-species Lots

[Collins, Allen]

Hi Sarah,

These would be similar (or equivalent) to environmental samples. If they are stored in ethanol, someone could or might want to sequence eDNA from the sample, which could potentially help with IDs of the different species within the mixed lots. We are seeing more requests to archive eDNA (and sometimes eSamples) here at NMNH, and they get cataloged if accepted (even before knowing what is in them). And if in formalin, as you note, someone might want to look through the individuals to pick out anything readily identifiable. Seems if you go through trouble of photographing, etc. it would seem worthwhile to catalog the original lot. Anyhow.. . . just a thought.
--Allen

Allen G. Collins<http://invertebrates.si.edu/staff/collins.cfm>
Zoologist & Director of National Systematics Lab<https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/national-systematics-laboratory> of NOAA Fisheries, Office of SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Curator of Porifera, Medusozoa, Ctenophora for SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

  *   Phone: 202.633.0645 Emails: collinsa at si.edu<mailto:collinsa at si.edu>; Allen.Collins at noaa.gov<mailto:Allen.Collins at noaa.gov>
  *   Mail: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MRC-163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 USA
  *   Courier Address: Smithsonian Institution, MR 0163, Natural History, West Loading Dock, 10th and Constitution Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20560


From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Sarah K. Huber <skhuber at vims.edu>
Date: Friday, March 31, 2023 at 10:08 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Cataloging unidentified, multi-species Lots
External Email - Exercise Caution
What are people’s thoughts on cataloging unidentified, multi-species lots?

Here at the VIMS Fish Collection we have thousands of vials of unidentified larval fishes in multi-species lots (hundreds of thousands of individuals). The ability to identify all of these fishes prior to cataloging is daunting, and likely will not happen in the next 50 years. Especially since these lots come from collecting programs that are on-going, and we have limited personnel who are trained in taxonomic identification of larval fishes. I am debating the value of cataloging these lots without identifications. They all have good collection data, a count of the number of individuals per lot, and in many cases I can take a photograph of all individuals through the scope to attach to the collection record. The data and photographs would be made public. As individuals get identified out of these lots, they would receive a separate catalog number according to our normal protocols.

I would be interested to hear what people think about this approach.

Sarah K. Huber, Ph.D. (she/her)
Curatorial Associate, VIMS Nunnally Ichthyology Collection
Office 804.684.7104 | Collection 804.684.7285
skhuber at vims.edu<mailto:skhuber at vims.edu> | http://www.vims.edu/research/facilities/fishcollection/index.php<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vims.edu%2Fresearch%2Ffacilities%2Ffishcollection%2Findex.php&data=05%7C01%7Ccollinsa%40si.edu%7Cedaee3c9e7d143fecf3e08db31f15eb0%7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c%7C0%7C0%7C638158684983894027%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nUHL%2B15%2Fflig%2B84cJtViIMf7UeZ%2FZE1LpMUBBh6UB3g%3D&reserved=0>
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