Facebook Features A Fishy Story!
Posted: September 11, 2012 - 10:30 , by ROM
Categories:
Collections, From the Field, ROM Social Media, Research |
Comments () | CommentWhen ROM Ichthyologist Dr. Hernan Lopez-Fernandez was unable to attend a 2011 expedition to the Cuyuni River in Guyana, he found other creative ways to collaborate with fellow scientists. Dr. Lopez-Fernandez enabled Devin Bloom, a U of T graduate student with extensive experience in Guyana through previous joint expeditions, to attend in his place and share the specimen collections and tissue samples with the ROM.
During the expedition, the team documented more that 5,000 fish specimens. They were then faced with the daunting, nearly impossible task of identify all of the fish specimens they wished to bring back under a tight deadline in order to get an export permit from Guyana. The scientific team decided to post pictures of the fish on their personal Facebook pages. This allowed their friends and colleagues around the globe to help identify fishes in the groups each of the ichthyologists were knowledgeable about. In a remarkable matter of only 24 hours, almost all of the species were identified, “along with some very funny comments on Facebook,” said Dr. Lopez-Fernandez.
Facebook, Inc. has now selected this incredible undertaking to feature on their newly launched “Facebook Stories” - showcasing people using Facebook in extraordinary ways. Facebook Inc. has cited this work as an example of an extraordinary use of Facebook, and has created a movie to tell the full story.
You can watch the video at this link below:
