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

Jamaica 2006

Section Responsible for Processing

MBC

Significance

Drs. Marian Litvaitis (PI), Univ. New Hampshire Leslie Newman (Co-PI) were awarded a NSF grant to study Caribbean polyclad flatworms biodiversity. Leslie Harris (NHM Polychaete Collections Manager) was invited to participate in the Jamaica portion of the survey. The materials she collected contribute to our knowledge of the marine invertebrate fauna of the region.

Background

Drs. Marian Litvaitis and Leslie Newman
NSF grant DEB 0412932, $588,788

Leslie Harris' participation was partially funded by the Museum (salary while in the field, partially funded by the NSF grant (travel), and partially self-funded (expenses in Jamaica).

Rawlinson, K.A. 2008. Biodiversity of coastal polyclad assemblages in the wider Caribbean. Marine Biology 153: 769-778.

Collection Location and Dates

Jamaica, north coast, around St. Anne's Bay, HUML 18infinity44.933'N, 77infinity22.389'W

Collections made between 24 May - 5 June 2006, 0-10 meters by Kate Rawlinson, Marcela Bolanos, Anne DuPont, Andrew Allan, Joseph Dunn, and Leslie Harris.

Taxonomic Contents

Polychaetes (187 lots) and Crustacea (61 lots), a few lots each of cnidarians (1), ctenophores (1), echinoderms (4), enteropneusts (1), fish (2), molluscs (17), nemerteans (24), and sipunculids (3). Twenty four lots of platyhelminthes listed in the database were retained by Dr. Litvaitis.

Documentation

Electronic files in Polychaete Section.

Description of Collection

Wet collection primarily in 5% formalin (263 lots), ca. 51 lots in 95% ethanol, and 12 lots in 70% ethanol. Samples field sorted to morphospecies. Currently specimens are housed in trailer in crate P-L-13.

Collection Inventory

Approximately 326 lots.

Collection Assets

No collection assets available.

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
09/05/2008	100%	0%	0%	0%

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.
09/05/2008	0%	100%	0%	0%

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.
09/05/2008	100%	0%	0%	0%

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.
09/05/2008	100%	0%

Level of Taxonomic Identification

Date	7: Not identified	6: Phylum	5: Class	4: Order	3: Family	2: Genus	1: Species
09/05/2008	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%