Project Summary: FHL Parasite Showcase

Abstract

This project is a preliminary look into the biodiversity of San Juan’s marine invertebrate parasite populations. Numerous organisms from across several different marine habitats around the island, and across the tree of life were cataloged for this project with the hopes of keying and genotyping them for further analysis in relation to species presence and diversity. By collecting, identifying, preserving, and photographing marine invertebrate parasites, I hope to contribute to the knowledge base of parasite species diversity in the San Juans, in addition to showcasing the ecological and morphological wonders of parasitic taxa in the marine world.