IdentaZoop
Zooplankton Taxonomist specialized in Canadian freshwater crustacean identification
Excellence delivered on time and on budget
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Are you searching for consistent and reliable zooplankton sample processing for long-term monitoring programs? Do you require customized solutions to meet specific data needs?
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I am one of only a handful of professional, full-time
Zooplankton Taxonomists in Canada that can
fulfill these project requirements.
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The data that I produce is provided in a
practical and customizable format.
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Every project comes with a set of high quality color digital images of species/genera encountered.
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Fully commercially insured
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About Me
Consulting with Purpose
Hello. My name is Lynne Witty. I was bitten by the "taxonomy bug" during my undergraduate thesis, undertaken at Laurentian University, where I focused on the benthic macro-invertebrates of a local lake. After graduating, I enrolled in an Ecosystem Management program at Fleming College. This was followed by an internship at the International Joint Commission.
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Upon my return to Greater Sudbury, I was employed as an Aquatic Invertebrate Taxonomist with the Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, housed in the Living with Lakes Centre. Due to the collaborative nature of this group of researchers, I had the opportunity to provide professional taxonomic services for projects ranging from the Great Lakes regions to the Far North of Ontario. From processing zooplankton samples for long-term monitoring programs, to species verification for genetic studies, to participating in Daphnia toxicology research, my focus has always been on producing the highest quality data.
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​Following my time at Laurentian University, I launched my own consulting business with a Canada-wide client base. I look forward to working with you to create a customized plan of action for your organization.
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Services
Expertise. Dedication. Reliability.
My zooplankton processing services are customized to meet the specific needs of each client. I work collaboratively throughout the process to guarantee measurable results.
IdentaZoop is a sole proprietorship so that a single Taxonomist handles all processing tasks, ensuring consistency and the most responsive attention. Services are restricted to Canadian clients only. Time is booked several months in advance of deadlines. To avoid disappointment, please contact me as soon as possible to secure your spot in my processing queue!
Zooplankton Processing
(see section under "more" for specifics)
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Specialized in the identification of Canadian freshwater crustacean zooplankton to species.
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Experienced in identifying and assigning attributes to invasive species such as the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes cederstroemii), fishhook water flea (Cercopagis pengoi), and zebra mussel veligers (Dreissena polymorpha).
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Biomass processing protocols are based on ZEBRA2, developed for the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks. This software translates digital caliper measurements of total body lengths into weights based on established length-weight regressions (page 89) for formalin preserved samples.
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For all projects, species and density data are provided to the client in an Excel spreadsheet for each sample. An Excel species list is also created per lake or per year (format is at the client's discretion). Protocols using ZEBRA2 add mean lengths, mean weights, and biomass data and also produce a separate Excel measurement file. These are automatically generated from the raw ZEBRA2 data via custom designed Python scripts by Data Analyst Emily Smenderovac.
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All projects include a set of high quality digital images taken with a Leica MC170 HD microscope camera, at no added cost.
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Client data is regularly backed up in multiple locations to ensure that it is secure, in perpetuity.
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Committed to using microscope equipment providing optimal image resolution to ensure accurate species identifications and biomass assessments (i.e., Leica M205C stereomicroscope and Leica MC170 HD microscope camera).
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Dedicated to staying up-to-date on taxonomy research and different protocols used by various research agencies throughout Canada.
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Pursuant to the goal of making identifications easier for novices, I produced two practical guides, one for zooplankton and one for benthos. These are available for download below.
Interested in getting advice from an experienced and professional Zooplankton Taxonomist?
Contact me today and see what I can do for you.
Testimonials
What’s Being Said
As an experienced Zooplankton Taxonomist in Canada, I know what it means to provide exceptional service and deliver the highest quality data. For 25+ years I have fulfilled the data needs of a number of research and environmental organizations on time and on budget. See what some of my satisfied clients and past colleagues have to say about the work I’ve done.
Dr. Norman D. Yan, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Senior Research Scholar - York University, Faculty of Science
“In the environmental field there is little that is more important than trustworthy long-term data. I have been very fortunate, over the last few decades, to have Lynne Witty providing just such accurate and consistent data on the dynamics of zooplankton communities in Ontario lakes. Given the quality of Lynne's work, I have been able to collaborate on dozens of projects which came to fruition in scientific publications. I am very happy to recommend Lynne to you for all your zooplankton projects requiring microscopic enumeration. There is no one better.”
I look forward to applying this same level of excellence to your projects!
Contact
Offering competitive per sample rates. Contact me for a free estimate.
Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
(705) 824-6342
