KOIORA-BIOASSIST™ Laboratory Facility
The digital imaging system consists of:
- Research-grade stereo microscope fitted with a high resolution video camera
- A fast PC with graphics software
- AutoMontage software for images with increased depth-of-field
- 'Z-stepper' for automated capturing of source images
- Two portable digital cameras
For further information on digital imaging methods see “Digital imaging methods used for capturing images of invertebrates” by Birgit Rhode.
The laboratory sample processing area consists of:
- Several workstations each with a networked PC using a database server and multiuser software, stereo-microscope, an associated cold light source and a barcode scanner.
- Barcode printer
Sample sorting and specimen identification
- Samples are first sorted to major invertebrate groupings, and then to recognisable taxonomic units (RTUs), sometimes referred to as morphospecies, which are compared with images in the database or imaged, if not already included. RTU information is subsequently stored in the relational database, for later retrieval and statistical analysis.
- Several operators carry out the sorting/identification/data entry process simultaneously. This allows specimens and data to be cross-referenced simultaneously across all operators and produces more rigorously defined and comparable RTUs.
- The identifications of RTUs are checked by Landcare Research systematists, based on images or reference specimens, and reference material is vouchered in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection at the end of projects for future reference.
For more detailed information on KOIORA-BIOASSIST™ see the slideshow.
