7 Summary of Week 5

Three very different advanced techniques for species identification were described this week. First, the use of microscopes to resolve the very small details required to distinguish certain groups of organisms. Then DNA barcoding which usually requires a laboratory to perform the analysis but citizen scientists can take suitable samples. Finally, there was an examination of the use of automated image analysis techniques, an area that has grown very rapidly and can be ideal for use in citizen science projects. These techniques are making it easier to distinguish between species, allowing both scientists and citizen scientist to make more accurate identifications. Next week you’ll learn about how to discover more information about an individual species once it has been identified.

You can now go to Week 6.