FRD Tissue Archive: 80,000 Marine Genetic Samples with North Pacific Focus

Over 80,000 tissue samples preserved in 95% ethanol represent a global collection of fishes and invertebrates curated by NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The archive focuses on sharks, groundfish, and highly migratory species like tunas, but also includes parasites, eggs, larvae, and abalone. This collection was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Conducting population genetic studies based on the extensive tissue collection of sharks and groundfish.
• Identifying species and analyzing biodiversity from the samples of highly migratory species like tunas and billfish.
• Studying host-parasite relationships using the assorted parasite samples mentioned in the description.
• Researching early life stages of marine organisms using the included egg and larval samples.

Strengths

• Over 80,000 individual tissue samples provide a substantial resource.
• Samples are preserved in 95% ethanol, a standard for genetic material storage.
• Collection has a defined taxonomic focus on key commercial and ecological groups like sharks and rockfish.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the North Pacific focus.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Physical collection and archival of biological tissues.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 23:06:26.831027; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global collection with a focus on the North Pacific.