We’re nearing the end of our two weeks here at the research station, but work is still continuing at full speed. Below are some snapshots from life in the lab.
Science in action
Snapshots
Portrait of a crab
Sakaila africana was recognized as a new species by Raymond B. Manning and L.B. Holthuis in 1981. Their publication in The Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology is an important source to the identification of West African crabs. An electronic version of the publication is available on this link. Our workshop found Sakaila africana in samples from Guinea Conakry.
Sakaila africana
Environmental monitoring in Ghana
On 10th July, the workshop was visited by guests from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research who are doing field work in Africa from R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen. Tor Ensrud gave a presentation of monitoring activities performed from the Nansen in Ghanaean waters. He showed pictures and impressive video clips from the prototype of a sampling rig equipped with ROV and 3-5 grabs. Some of the pictures can be seen at the IMR website.
Environmental monitoring in Ghana
Tools of the trade – the BOLD database
One of the topics covered in depth during the workshop is the selection of specimens and the preparation of tissue-samples. These will to be sent for DNA sequencing, and the genetic sequence will then be included in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). The aim is to obtain standardized genetic sequences (“barcodes”) for the various taxa that we are working on. The barcode consists of a segment of approximately 650 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (COI). You can read more about DNA barcoding on WIKIPEDIA.
There is a very real challenge connected with estimating biodiversity when many of the species are still undescribed, as is the case with many invertebrate species, especially the more obscure and diminutive groups. In such cases, barcoding can serve as a tool in screening for biodiversity, and aid the taxonomists in identifying areas where the taxonomic resolution is low.
We have not yet received any barcodes for our MIWA project, but the project page on BOLD is getting populated with images and geographical information.
Uploading pictures
Brittle star image gallery
Crab image gallery
This picture shows a plot of crab species that have been DNA barcoded around the World. Notice the lack of records from West African waters.
This picture shows how we are presently about to add records of about 60 crab species to the BOLD database.
How is it that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can make numbers of copies of a piece of DNA? (Slide from an intro to the technology of PCR and Sanger sequencing given by EW.)
Lecture about the procedure for tissue sampling and recording of data for the BOLD system
The specimens from which we take the DNA tissue sample is documented through photographs
A completed microplate with 95 tissue samples
Tools of the trade – Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
On Wednesday, the group working on the Polychaeta (bristle worms) went to the city for a practical demonstation of one of the tools we are fortunate enough to have available here in Bergen; the ZEISS Supra 55VP scanning electron microscope at the Laboratory for Electron Microscopy.
The use of SEM gives us a unique possibility to examine details that are too small to be seen (or at least to be seen clearly) in a light microscope. It is possible to take high resolution photographs through the SEM, which can be used both for personal reference, and as illustrations in scientific publications.
The anterior region of a Hyalinoecia sp. (family Onuphidae)
The different kinds of bristles and their distribution along the animal’s body are important characteristics in polychaete taxonomy.
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
Sorting the snails
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.
Temperature towards the deep waters
Annual surface temperature according to oceanographic data in World Ocean Atlas (WOA09).
Oceanographic data are showing hight temperatures in the tropical surface waters. However, the striking geographical differences become less when the measurements are taken in the deeper parts of the water column. Click this link to see a rough picture of how temperature changes towards the deeper layers.
(The animation was made by EW with Reiner Schlitzerands ODV and converted to a Windows Video File.)Studies of East Atlantic bottom fauna
The University Museum of Bergen has acquired benthic samples from the West African continental shelf in agreement with the Guinea Current (GCLME) and Canary Current (CCLME) Large Marine Ecosystem projects.
The first batch of unsorted bottom samples from the GCLME region, weighing 750 kg, arrived in Bergen October 2007.
We study hundreds of samples to learn more about the rich species diversity of this region and to compare it with the northern fauna.
Our permanent web pages can found be here: The Invertebrate Collections.
We also have a general blog for the collections, which can be found here (English) and here (Norwegian).
For interactive maps, sampling stations and other downloadable information about the MIWA-project, click here.
Publications stemming from the work can be found here.
Training activities, collaborations, and guest researchers
Our wonderful collaborators. Photos by various of the pictured, montage by K.Kongshavn
We have arranged six training activities on MIWA-material, including multiple species identification workshops, some of which were focusing on particular groups such as mollusks, polychaetes, and brittle stars.
A lot of people have been involved to make all of this happen. We have been fortunate in being able to attract excellent students and experts alike, and we have hosted over 35 research visits, including scientists from Columbia, France, Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, and the UK.
An overview of the projects on the different taxonomic groups found here.