You are here: /main/research expeditions/CReefs 2006/Collection/Hand

Census of Marine Life, Census of Coral Reefs Expedition to French Frigate Shoals (October 2006)

Hand Collecting

Lead Scientist: Scott Godwin
Target Habitats: All proposed habitats including Forereef, Reef Crest, Backreef, Intertidal Shores, Lagoonal Sands, Lagoonal Patch Reef, La Perouse, Arc shell reefs, Acropora areas
Target Organisms: Sessile and mobile epifauna; macrosponge communities
Quantities:
This is the most general method employed by invertebrate zoologists for the collection of macrofauna. Animals are taken by hand, placed in bags or jars with ample seawater, and taken to the shipboard lab for study. Many species are simply taken from the reef surface; others are taken from under rubble. For the latter, loose pieces of coral rubble are gently lifted, targeted specimens secured, and the rubble replaced in the same position as it was found to cause minimal disturbance to other organisms. One example demonstrating the efficiency of this method is that of sponge and opisthobranch fauna hand collected in Guam. (see Kelly et al., 2003; Carlson & Hoff, 2003).

Hand collection conducted by Jody Martin. Photo: Jim Maragos

A component of the reef biota lives exclusively on sponges, and the numerous organisms occurring on and inside marine sponges have been described as "an ecological community, in which, however, interrelationships are not yet clear" (Westiga and Hoetjes 1981). Neither is their systematics or their host specificity well understood. In order to observe and collect them, subsamples of tissue are removed from the macrosponges that have been collected for identification. The pieces of sponge are collected in mesh bags, maintained in running seawater in the laboratory, and dissected to remove associated animals.

Back to collection methods

Ship Logs:
Day-by-day activities of the expedition.

Journals:
Daily or semi-daily personal journal entries by the particpants in the expedition. These journals do not necessarily reflect the positions of any of the agencies connected with this project.

Interviews:
Interviews with expedition participants, scientists, vessel crew, educators, etc.

Features:
Highlights or special information such as interesting discoveries, articles or related research.