Page Contents: Section | Significance | Background | Location & Dates | Taxonomic Contents | Documentation | Description of Collection | Collection Inventory | Collection Assets Specimen Condition | Container Condition | Label Condition | Label Content | Level of Taxonomic Identification

Western Samoa 2007

Section Responsible for Processing

MBC

Significance

R. Wetzer recollected isopod crustaceans in Western Samoa after a previous expedition in 1993 had collected interesting material. In the intervening years, siltation, decreased algal diversity, and general habitat degradation reduced isopod species diversity and despite significantly increased collecting efforts isopod diversity had decreased and fewer species were collected.

Background

The expedition was in part funded by NHM Species Naming funds. Collaborators: N. L. Bruce and N. D. Pentcheff.

Collection Location and Dates

Samples were collected from 11-20 July 2007 from ‘Upolu Island in Western Samoa. Geographic coordinates for each site are included as part of the label data.

Taxonomic Contents

The collection consists primarily of crustaceans (Brachyura, Caridea, Amphipoda, Tanaidacea, Isopoda, Ostracoda, and Copepoda). The following groups have been sorted out and distributed to their appropriate sections: Mollusca, Echinodermata, Annelida (Polychaeta), Insecta, Fishes.

Documentation

All documentation is exclusively available electronically and all data is included in the Marine Biodiversity Processing Center’s Filemaker database. The collection has 62 stations.

Description of Collection

The specimens were originally fixed and preserved in 95% ethanol. Upon returning to the Crustacea Lab the original preservative was replaced with fresh 95% ethanol. Currently the collection is located in the Marine Biodiversity Processing Center Collection Room at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Collection Inventory

The collection consists of 21 lots of unsorted sediment, 244 lots of unsorted invertebrates, 39 lots of mollusks, 26 lots of echinoderms, 19 lots of crustaceans, 13 lots of sphaeromatids, 8 lots of cirolanids, 20 lots of polychaetes, 1 lot of insects, and 5 lots of fishes.

Collection Assets

Date	View or Retrieve	File Information
08/15/2008	View [373.6 kB]	Brachuyra. Photo by K. Omura.
08/15/2008	View [205.3 kB]	Caridea. Photo by K. Omura.
08/15/2008	View [392.2 kB]	Grapsidae. Photo by K. Omura.

Curatorial Status (Click to view)

Specimen Condition

Date	4: New alcohol needed immediately (specimens will otherwise be irreparably damaged)	3: Containers need to be 'topped off'	2: New alcohol needed within next 6-12 months	1: No curation needed at present
10/13/2007	0%	0%	0%	100%

Container Condition

Date	4: Immediate short-term (less than 5 years) storage container replacement needed. Present containers are inadequate. Curate in the short-term with plastic buckets, whirltop bags, or similar.	3: Specimens contained in museum-grade long-term (greater than 5 years) storage containers. Jars need new closures (e.g. replace Bakelite and metal lids).	2: Transfer to museum-grade long-term storage containers. Replace or transfer to new jars and glass vials, replace cotton and closures.	1: Containers are museum-grade and meet highest curation standards.
10/31/2007	0%	0%	0%	100%

Label Condition

Date	4: New labels needed immediately (original labels in poor condition, paper torn/worn, legibility poor).	3: New labels needed within next 1-2 years (original labels beginning to wear, pencil writing fading, low quality paper was used).	2: New labels needed are as a result of curation and accretion of collection.	1: No new labels needed at present.
10/31/2007	0%	0%	0%	100%

Label Content

Date	2: New label or additional label needed because original label data is incomplete and supporting documentation provides additional collection data which greately enhances significance and value of each lot.	1: Label content complete. All collection data are contained on label.
10/31/2007	0%	100%

Level of Taxonomic Identification

Date	7: Not identified	6: Phylum	5: Class	4: Order	3: Family	2: Genus	1: Species
10/31/2007	67%	28%	0%	0%	3%	1%	1%