Discover Life -- Shorefishes of the Tropical Eastern Pacific -- Acknowledgments
SFTEP home Introduction Biology Ecology Zoogeography Features of the system How to use the system Acknowledgments

We could not have completed this electronic information system, or the english and spanish editions of the book that preceded it [Fishes of the tropical eastern Pacific (1994) and Peces del Pacífico oriental tropical (1998)], without the assistance of numerous individuals. We are particularly indebted to Dr. Ira Rubinoff, Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), for his continuous support and encouragement since 1990.

Funding

Much of this project was financed from STRI general research funds. Grants from the Smithsonian Institution's Atherton Siedell Endowment Fund sponsored the production of the english and spanish printed editions. The development of this electronic information system was largely made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian Womens Committee, while the Smithsonian's Latino Initiatives Fund provided support for spanish translations. Fieldwork in El Salvador in March 2001 was sponsored by an grant from the Smithsonian's Johnson Fund. A grant from the National Geographic Society (#5831-96) sponsored a research cruise by the RV Urraca to Clipperton in 1998. The production of the 1998 spanish edition of our book was enabled by a subvention from CONABIO in Mexico.

Government permissions

The governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Polynesia, Mexico, and Panama granted us permission to conduct field studies. The enthusiastic assistance of two El Salvadoran entities (the fisheries authority, CENDEPESCA, and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources) was particularly helpful. We thank the Centro de Investigaciones Oceanograficos y Hidrograficas de la Armada Nacional de Colombia for allowing D R Robertson to join a cruise of the Colombian research vessel A.R.C. Malpelo to Isla Malpelo, and the Division de Parques Nacionales de INDERENA for permission to conduct research there in 1992. Elena Lombardo and Celideth de Leon, of STRI's office of external affairs, facilitated the various phases of this international work.

Logistical support

The crews of two of STRI's research vessels, the R/V Benjamin and the R/V Urraca, provided support during research cruises to various parts of Panama, and to El Salvador, Isla del Coco and Ile Clipperton. Gustavo Justines, of the Panama Fisheries Association (ANDELIAP) provided continuing assistance enabling us to sample the bycatch of shrimp and anchovy fishing vessels in Panama over the years. Enrique Barraza provided similar assistance during an expedition of the R/V Urraca to El Salvador in March/April 2001, and a follow-up trip working aboard shrimp trawlers there in December 2001. Peter Glynn (University of Miami) enabled D.R. Robertson to join his cruise (number 90-053) on the R.V. Gyre, sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, to Isla del Coco and the Galapagos in 1992. Les Knapp of the Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center provided collection supplies. Daniel Evans, Director of the Charles Darwin Research Station at the Galapagos, and his assistant Fionnuala Walsh provided logistical assistance in 1990. In El Salvador, Mario Gonzalez R. of CENDEPESCA and Enrique Barraza of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources greatly facilitated our work, as did Jorge Lopez of MAG-SIC-OSPESCA and Osmin Pocasangre, of the University of El Salvador. Three El Salvadora shrimp companies (ISMARSA, PRESTOMAR and VERALMAR) provided logistical support throught access to their shrimp vessels. Waldemar Arnecke of ISMARSA and Manuel Quintanilla of VERALMAR were particularly helpful.

Collecting assistance

Collecting assistance in the Galapagos in 1990 was rendered by Eldridge Bermingham, Harris Lessios, Ben Victor, and Jerry Wellington. Assistance with fieldwork was provided by J.D. Lopez at Malpelo; Ursula Schober, John Earle, Steve Swearer and Mike Lang at Isla del Coco; John Earle, Kirstie Kaiser, Steve Swearer, Ken Clifton, Mike Lang, Jerry Wellington and Jennifer Caselle at Clipperton; and John Earle, Jim Van Tassell, Philippe Bearez, Bill Bussing, John McCosker, Kirstie Kaiser, Clay Byrce and Richard Cooke at various sites along the Panamanian coast, and by Richard Cooke, Edgardo Ochoa, Jim Van Tassell, Bill Bussing, Tom Munroe and Carole Baldwin in El Salvador. Special thanks are due to Richard Cooke (STRI) who accompanied us on trips to the Panama City fish market (one of the best fish markets in central America for fish biologists), guided us with the subtleties of identifying catfishes and sciaenids, and made it possible for us to obtain valuable collections of Panamanian fishes. Gordon Hubbell and Greg Fairclough loaned shark jaws. We were also assisted on fish market visits by Conrado Tapia (STRI). We received valuable field assistance in Panama from STRI staff members Anibal Velarde, Alcibiades Cedeno, Pancho Sanchez, Ismael Gonzalez, and Ernesto Peña. Tita and Ana Tapia provided accomodation during collecting trips to Aguadulce, Panama. Rex and Joan Allen (G. Allen's parents) provided accomodation and hospitality during a stay at Golfito, Costa Rica. Tim Means and Gary Cotter of Baja Expeditions (San Diego, California) were instrumental in organising our month-long visit to the Gulf of California in 1990. We also thank John Fox and Almei Moehl of Cabo Aquadeportes for providing logistic assistance at Cabo San Lucas. Gerry Allen wishes to thank the Springer and Duke families for providing accomodation while studying eastern Pacific fishes at the Smithsonian Institution.

Identifications of specimens and reviews of sections on different taxa

We are especially indebted to the following people who helped to identify our specimens and photos or served as critical reviewers of the manuscripts of the english and spanish print editions and/or CD sections:

Translations

Myrna Lopez (Universidad de Costa Rica) translated the entire english text of our 1994 book, Fishes of the tropical eastern Pacific, enabling us to produce Peces costeros del Pacifico Oriental Tropical in 1998. Bill Bussing provided invaluable collaboration and patience during the translation for the spanish edition, including revision of the translated text. He, in conjunction with Richard Cooke and Gustavo Justines (ANDELIAAP), assisted in the provision of spanish language common names for many species. Additional spanish translations needed for this electronic edition, which includes about twice as many taxa as the printed books, were done by Rodrigo Rojas and Juan L Maté. Various people, including Luiz D'Croz, reviewed parts of the translated material.

Illustrations

The authors and owners of all photographs used in this CD are individually identified with each such illustration. Special thanks are due Roger Steene (Cairns, Australia) for his collecting assistance and underwater photographic expertise at the Galapagos and Panama in 1990. Alex Kerstitch (Tuscon, Arizona) performed similar servics for us in the Gulf of Californa in 1990 and allowed us to use his photographs to illustrate various species of Gulf of California fishes. We also obtained numerous valuable photographs of circumtropical and Indo-Pacific species from Jack Randall (Bishop Museum, Hawaii), Philippe Baerez (the Natural History Museum, Paris; Ecuadorian and Peruvian fishes), Dan Gotshall (Sea Challengers; Gulf of California and Californian fishes), and Helmut Debelius (IKWANU; circumtropical fishes). Many other photographers contributed photographs of fishes, particularly of widely distributed species photographed elsewhere in the world. Our photographic endeavours were greatly assisted by the dark room expertise of Carl Hansen and Marcos Guerra (both STRI) and Lorie Aceto and her staff (Smithsonian Institution Photographic Services, Washington, D.C.). Ernesto Peña taught himself the skills needed to provide the high quality set of digital images included here.

Pere Oliver, of FAO, granted permission for us to use drawings of a broad range of species from the FAO series of field guides, especially that for our region, and John Bass (South Africa) allowed use of his drawings of sharks.

Database management and digital image preparation

Ernesto Peña of STRI managed the databases and digitally processed all the images included here. Zoraida Jimenez, Ileana Hernández and Alana Domingo entered, checked and revised many of the numeric data in the large number of databases.

SFTEP home Introduction Biology Ecology Zoogeography Features of the system How to use the system Acknowledgments