Training Parataxonomists

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Training Parataxonomists

• Shuhei Nishida, Ocean Research Institute, Univ.
  Tokyo, Japan
• Erik V. Thuesen, Evergreen State College,
  Washington, USA

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Training Parataxonomists

• What is Parataxonomy?
• What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
  us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
• Training Programs
• Other advantages of training Parataxonomists

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Parataxonomy

• Para
• Greek Beside, With
• Paramedic, Paramilitary, Paralegal

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Parataxonomy

• Parataxonomy
• Term first used by Daniel Janzen to describe the
  role of local assistants hired to work with the
  taxonomists in the INBio Project in Costa Rica
  (Janzen 1991).

INBio Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad,
Costa Rica.
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Parataxonomy at ALAS
Parataxonomist Training Program 5-6 month
course 10-14 hours per day 5 days a week 1000
hours of training
ALAS program was funded by NSF and operated by
Univ. Connecticut Evergreen State College
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Parataxonomy at ALAS
Parataxonomists sorting Arthropods in La Selva,
Costa Rica
Photos courtesy of Jack Longino, Evergreen State
College
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What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?

• CASE STUDY Oliver Beattie (1993) in New South
  Wales
• 4 Taxa
• Ants, Spiders, Mosses, Polychaetes
• 3 Levels of Expertise
• Taxonomic Experts
• One Grad student Parataxonomist
• Team of 13 undergraduate students

Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible method for
rapid assessment of biodiversity. Conservation
Biology. 7 562-568.
8
What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible method for
rapid assessment of biodiversity. Conservation
Biology. 7 562-568.
9
What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
CASE STUDY Oliver Beattie 1993
Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible method for
rapid assessment of biodiversity. Conservation
Biology. 7 562-568.
10
What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
CASE STUDY Oliver Beattie 1993
Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible method for
rapid assessment of biodiversity. Conservation
Biology. 7 562-568.
11
What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
CASE STUDY Oliver Beattie 1993
Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible method for
rapid assessment of biodiversity. Conservation
Biology. 7 562-568.
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Recognizable Taxonomic Units (RTU) vs. Species
Parataxonomists often sort to RTU Morphospecies,
Morphotype or Parataxonomic Unit (PU) PU
is preferred term, because it acknowledges that
the sorting was not done by taxonomic experts and
other the terms are used with other meanings
elsewhere in biology (Krell, 2004).
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Recognizable Taxonomic Units (RTU) vs. Species
Parataxonomists often sort to RTU Morphospecies,
Morphotype or Parataxonomic Unit (PU) PU
has been suggested as the preferred term, because
it acknowledges that the sorting was not
performed by taxonomic experts and other the
terms are used with other meanings elsewhere in
biology (Krell, 2004).
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Parataxonomic Unit
PU is useful for PU is poor at
Comparisons of different habitats in one area Accurate species inventories in one area
Broad comparisons of gross species richness Biogeography/Autecology
Sorting to higher taxonomic categories (Genus, Family) Sorting of larval and juvenile stages

Krell, 2004
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What have terrestrial biodiversity studies taught
us about utilizing Parataxonomists?
Summary
Training by taxonomic experts is very important.
The more training time and higher degree of
expertise by the trainer better work by
parataxonomists. Accuracy is variable Ranging
from 10 to 100 (Krell, 2004) Beginning
Parataxonomists tend to be lumpers, while more
experienced Parataxonomists tend to be
splitters. Parataxonomists often do a
satisfactory job (90) of enumerating species
when sorting to PU (Parataxonomic Unit). The PU
is not a real substitute for a species in
biodiversity studies.
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Benefits of Parataxonomists
Taxonomic experts endangered survival
Increased need for species analysis
Coupling morphological-molecular information
Basis for public outreach
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CMarZ Open Workshop 2006.11.06, ORI-U Tokyo
Various approaches
Training courses
Educational cruises
For younger generations
Other outreach resources books, websites, CDs,
e-networks
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SE Asian Countries-JSPS Training Courses on
Methods of Zooplankton Ecology and Identification
2003 Thailand (Chulalongkorn University) 2004
Philippines (University of the Philippines) 2005
Vietnam (Institute of Marine Environment and
Resources) 2006 Malaysia (Univresiti Putra
Malaysia) 2007 Indonesia (Indonesian Institute
for Sciences)
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Training Courses on Methods of Zooplankton
Ecology and Identification
Lectures (2 days) What is plankton?A general
introduction Methodology of zooplankton
ecology Introductions to Crustacea,
gelatinous plankton, other animal groups
Practices (4 days, including field
sampling) Sample processing and primary
sorting Identification of major taxonomic
groups Copepoda, Chaetognatha, Mysidacea,
Cnidaria Tunicata, Demersal plankton
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Training Course in the Philippines, Nov. 2004
34 participants (29 from Philippine, 5 from
other member countries)
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Training course in Vietnam, 2005
Dr. Nishikawas lecture on gelatinous plankton
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Field sampling in Manila Bay
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Field sampling in Ha Long Bay,Vietnam, 2005
Dr. Sawamoto explaining a plankton-net on a
tourist boat
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Laboratory Practice
Free offer of microscopes from Carl Zeiss Company
Identification of Chaetognaths by Dr. Terazaki
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Laboratory Practice
Dr. Ohtsuka demonstrating copepod dissection
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Presentation by trainee
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Benefits of Parataxonomists
Taxonomic experts endangered survival
Increased need for species analysis
Coupling morphological-molecular information
Basis for public outreach
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Training undergraduate students
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Parataxonomists many hands and eyes
Provides dedicated people for different
processing pathways (e.g., DNA,
photodocumentation, etc.)
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Outreach for younger generations
Science camp for High-school students
Workshops for elementary-school students
The Oceanographic Society of Japan
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Challenges and future prospects
Need for follow-up care
Little chance for employment
Shortage of literature sources in developing
countries
Financial support for continued activities
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Acknowledgments References
Jack Longino, ALAS, Evergreen State
College Robert Colwell, ALAS, Univ. Conn.
(http//www.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/Eeb252/eeb252su0
0/1eeb.html) Krell, F.-T. 2004. Parataxonomy vs.
taxonomy in biodiversity studies pitfalls and
applicability of morphospecies sorting.
Biodiversity and Conservation. 13
795812. Oliver Beattie, 1993. A possible
method for rapid assessment of biodiversity.
Conservation Biology. 7 562-568. Oliver, I.
Beattie, A.J. 1996. Invertebrate morphospecies
as surrogates for species A case study.
Conservation Biology. 10 99-109.