From the Field to the Lab

Fieldwork and lab work are at the heart of what we do at the Biodiversity Institute. 

Mark Robbins, ornithology collection manager, bridges fieldwork (collecting specimens, recording data, investigating habitats) and lab work (DNA analysis, taxonomic classification, morphological comparisons).  All specimens caught in the field spend time in the lab; all of the analyses and data obtained in the lab help to answer research questions about the life in the field.

Robbins' research questions pertain to the migration patterns of small birds called marsh and sedge wrens.  To do his work, he collects specimens from the field in Northwestern Missouri and elsewhere.  He is one of many Biodiversity Institute scientists who spend time in both the field and the lab - collecting and then analyzing data.  To learn more about Robbins' work, investigate the gallery below or learn about his research methods.

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