Guam event to tag species in waters off the island

Guam will now join other institutions and groups in a science program designed to provide research information by participants.

The University of Guam’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Biorepository will be hosting a “BioBlitz.”

The event is drawing researchers from The Florida Museum, Kyoto University in Japan, the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, Fla., the University of Bologna in Italy, the University of Oregon, Georgia College, and the Los Angeles County Museum.

According to UOG, “The visiting researchers will be tagging at various locations off the coast of Guam. The goal is to identify and tag as many species as they can during the blitz, which will last 20 days.  Years of work will be done within this time, thanks to the help of the visiting scientists.  We are expecting around 10 of them.” 

The first BioBlitz was held at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, in Washington, D.C. in 1996. Approximately 1,000 species were identified at this first event. mbj