In the Lab

Not all the work of our visiting Smithsonian researchers is play. Each and every specimen that is collected needs to be processed in their mobile lab. They've brought a pared-down version of their lab here because they don't often bring their DNA sequence machinery on first visits to places. But there's still plenty to do (enough to keep them up until 1:00am the first night!).

Completed Samples

Holocentrus rufus - Longspine Squirrelfish

Taking a flesh sample of a juvenile Queen Angelfish.

Juvenile Goldentail Moray waiting to be measured.

I helped some, but I was worried about being in the way. They're cramped into our small conference room and they seem to have a well-functioning system in place already. The process includes measuring, identification (with the help of a microscope in many cases), photographing, flesh sampling, preservation, and recording of data. All of it is done with the precision and meticulousness you'd expect of a professional laboratory. I was particularly impressed with their photography station and the quality of the pictures they were getting.

Photo Station

The picture below is of a rare Soapfish. Until the Smithsonian's "Barcode of Life" project (of which our sampling is a part), there was believed to be 4 species - all of which are extremely similar in appearance. But their testing found 5 genetically distinct species.

Rypticus subbifrenatus - Spotted Soapfish