Monthly Archives: July 2013

First day of the workshop

Here are some snapshots from the first day our two-week long workshop – despite long travels, people got right into lab-mode, and we’re alredy beginning to find interesting things!

We have 16 participants from no less than nine countries attending, working on the Echinodermata (Echinoidea and Ophiuroidea), Mollusca (mainly Gastropoda), the Polychaeta (various families), and on Crustaceans (mainly the Decapoda).

Busy, happy biologists

Busy, happy biologists

Sorting the snails

Mollusca sorted for species identification

Mollusca sorted for species identification

When samples are sorted to main groups of taxa,  individuals can also be separated into “morphotypes” based on their general appearence, Morphotypes may or may not correspond to species and this has to be decided by more thorough examination for species identification.

A sample from an epibenthic sled

Different sampling tool are available for sampling animals. They will retrieve different parts of bottom fauna, depending also on factors such as net size, cruise speed, and the size and agility of the animals. An epibenthic sled can catch the animals that live on or just above the bottom surface. This sample on a sieve contains snails (Mollusca, Gastropoda), brittle stars (Echinodermata, Ophiura), polychaete worms (Polychaeta), shrimps, crabs and hermit crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda).

A sled sample from 30 m depth off Senegal.

A sled sample from 30 m depth off Senegal.