Page Contents: Section | Significance | Background | Location & Dates | Taxonomic Contents | Documentation | Description of Collection | Collection Inventory | Collection Assets
Panama 2005 and 2006
Section Responsible for Processing
MBC
Significance
Dr. Peter Glynn (University of Miami) has been studying the effects of El Nino-Southern Oscillation disturbances on eastern Pacific coral reefs for over 35 years. One significant, understudied component of the reef system is the cryptofauna associated with the reefs, a gap that Dr. Glynn attempted to rectify by inviting Leslie Harris (NHM Polychaete Collection Manager) and Dr. Ingo Wehrtmann (Univ. Costa Rica) to join his team to collect and identify polychaetes and decapods from his primary long-term site off Isla Coiba, Panama. For the Museum, this collection enhances our holdings of central American specimens. The material further contributes to an understanding of geminate species pairs and species movement between the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean via the Panama Canal.
Background
Principal Investigator: Dr. Peter Glynn (University of Miami)
NSF Award#0526361: $555,593
Leslie Harris' participation was funded partly by the Museum (salary), partly her private funds (transportation), and by Dr. Glynn (all expenses inside Panama).
Anker, A., Poddoubtchenko, D., Wehrtmann, I. S. 2006. Leslibetaeus coibita, n. gen., n. sp., a new alpheid shrimp from the Pacific coast of Panama (Crustacea: Decapoda). Zootaxa 1183: 27-41.
Collection Location and Dates
Pacific Panama, Coiba National Park, primarily from coral reef off Isla Uva, 07infinity49'N, 81infinity46'W and intertidal areas off Isla Coiba near the Centro de la ANM 07infinity37’36.86”N, 81infinity43’43.22”W, and Isla Coibita (= Isla Rancheria) 7infinity38'10"N, 81infinity42'11"W. Collections made between 9-16 March 2005 and 12-20 March 2006 for 0-15 meters.
Taxonomic Contents
2005 Collections: Polychaetes (89 lots) and decapods (88) dominate, with a few lots each of Cnidaria (1), Echinodermata (6), Echiura (1), Mollusca (4), Sipuncula (2), and Vertebrata (fish, 3).
2006 Collections: Polychaetes (144 lots) and crustaceans dominate (111 lots), plus a few lots each of echinoderms (2), molluscs (7), nemerteans (6), platyhelminthes (2), and sipunculids (4).
Documentation
Field notes in electronic form in Polychaete Section.
Description of Collection
Collections made in 2005 were preserved primarily in 70% ethanol, but some were preserved in 95% ethanol or 5% formalin. Most lots collected in 2006 were fixed in 5% formalin, approximately 50 lots are in 95% ethanol (some lots consist of legs or pieces pulled off specimens before formalin fixation).
Most samples remain in original preservative and transfer of preservative is necessary. Lots field sorted to morphospecies. Samples are in crates P-L-11 and P-L-15 in trailer.
Collection Inventory
2005 collections: 194 lots
2006 collections: 273 lots
Collection Assets
No collection assets available.