Collection Technician, Auckland Museum
What do you hope to achieve on this expedition to the Three Kings?
There is so much yet to discover about the plants and animals in the marine environment around the Three Kings Islands. I hope that we are able to build a more comprehensive list of the animals and plants that live there, and bring back collected specimens for future research. I am looking forward to working with and learning from the highly experienced team assembled for this expedition. In 2011 I was part of the museum’s biodiscovery expedition to the Kermadec Islands with scientists from five different agencies collecting and documenting species in one of the world’s most pristine marine environments. On that expedition we discovered species that were new to New Zealand and even new to science, so it would be great if we could do that again.
What skills are you bringing to the team?
Primarily my contribution of skills will be in Collection Management. I will be involved in the collection of fish utilising a range of methods including SCUBA, netting, lines and traps and also in the processing of the fish collected. This involves preserving, sorting, numbering, and recording collection details eg: location, depth, method etc. All of which requires a systematic and methodical approach that is consistent and simple. This work will be important as the “raw data” will be transferred into the Auckland Museum database and specimens added to our extensive collections.
When you’re not on an expedition what does a “day at work” look like for you?
As a Collection Technician at the Auckland Museum I work across all collections – both Natural History and Human History and my days range from numbering bird bones to deconstructing and packing a Maori pataka for loan to designing new storage furniture to better house the collections.
Latest Comments
This king fish is the biggest one I have ever seen.
Wonderful exped. have followed with delight. Sharing it on my website and Facebook page. Lot to think about ... Wade
No more days at sea now - they're home tonight! But if you want to learn some more from the expedition team you can meet
Thanks for your questions Christabel. The team says the whale shark is by far the largest fish in the world. Fish defini