This accession consists of the papers of Allan W. H. Bé, marine invertebrate zoologist during his career at the Lamont Geological Observatory at Columbia University studying plankton. Although most of the materials in the collection were not created by Be himself, Be is listed as the primary, and in most cases, sole creator of all items. Materials in this collection include field notes from various cruises during which plankton samples were collected. The collection contains data sheets, plotting charts, graphs, maps, instructional materials, correspondence, equipment logs, data compilations, and other miscellaneous materials related to these research cruises. A bulk of the collection relates to cruises on the research vessel Vema. Other research vessels for which cruises are named after include but are not limited to the Robert D. Conrad, Eltanin, and Rockaway. The majority of materials included in this collection are data sheets recording various kind of data. The data often include important information like coordinates, weather conditions and temperatures, and how much was collected and at what depth. Plankton samples were collected from sampling stations located all over the world. Although most of the major Oceans, Seas, and other bodies of water that Be collected in are included, it is important to note that samples were collected from many locations that could not be listed here. In addition to materials from the Lamont Geological Observatory, some materials from the Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center are also included.
Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.
