Workshop Information

DELTA (DEscriptive Language for TAxonomy) is a windows based taxonomic database that stores morphological data and illustrations and then, among other things, makes them available in the form of natural language descriptions, illustrated interactive keys, and as output for phylogenetic analyses.

Crustacea.net (www.crustacea.net) is a website that publishes electronic monographs (interactive identification and information retrieval systems) on crustaceans at any taxonomic level. These monographs are prepared using the DELTA system and include illustrated, interactive keys to each group, as well as diagnoses, descriptions and illustrations of each taxon in the group.

A series of international workshops has been implemented to teach taxonomists how to use DELTA to produce taxonomic information retrieval systems for the website. The databases produced from these workshops are presented on line, as they are finished, and are accessible through the Australian Museum Online website. Each database is held at the institution that produced it and maintained by its author. In this way, interactive keys to all of the world crustaceans can be developed over time.

The Crustacea.net project, as a whole, is effectively an electronic monographic series to the world Crustacea. Each participant who provides an interactive information and retrieval system for the project becomes the author of a monograph in the series. Any expert is welcome to participate. As family, generic or species level groups are finished they will be added to the website. The site is developed and maintained by the Australian Museum, but has an independent address (www.crustacea.net) because of its international input.

Instructors:
Jim Lowry, Principal Research Scientist, Crustacean Section, Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia.
Terry Macfarlane, Western Australian Herbarium, Manjimup, Western Australia.

Location: The workshop took place at the Marine Resources Research Institute, SCDNR, at Ft. Johnson, near Charleston, SC.

Instructors, participants and assistants for 6th Crustacean Delta Workshop, left to right: Dr. Rachael King, Dr. Pam Jutte, Stacie Crowe, Jana Thoma, David Knott, Brent Thoma, Dr. Jim Lowry, Niamh Kilgallen, Nadia Meyers, Dr. Terry Macfarlane, and Tammy Horton.


Instructors Terry Macfarlane (left) and Jim Lowry (right).


Jim Lowry assists Brent Thoma with Delta software.


Terry Macfarlane assists participants Stacie Crowe, Pam Jutte, Niamh Kilgallen and Tammy Horton.


Jana Thoma and Brent Thoma discuss their data sets.


A view of the Delta software screen.