Ask a Bishop Museum Scientist - we've moved!

Ask a Scientist has now moved to ask.bishopmuseum.org to accomodate users unable to access flickr. You should be able to find our new searchable site easy to use, but please be patient with us as it is still under construction.

We are excited to see how this program has grown in popularity and are fielding numerous questions and requests representing a variety of age groups, scientific backgrounds, and biodiversity. It is evident that this program will continue to gain increased traction, and we will strive to continue to provide quality and on-time assistance. Currently we have numerous scientific staff and associates actively engaged in looking at all incoming questions and requests. As this site continues to grow in popularity, delayed responses may occur. We want to provide to you our best efforts. In order to do so, we are seeking volunteer and funding support. If you are interested in assisting us with this program, please contact us today.

What would you like to know?

Found an interesting insect on your favorite plant, a plant in the forest that looks out-of-place, a colorful lizard or fish, or a piece of limu on the beach that you would be interested in knowing more about, but don't know where to start?

We've developed an online forum called Ask a Bishop Museum Scientist to help you interact with Bishop Museum's scientists. You can upload digital images of the organism you've found in the Hawaiian Islands that you'd like help with identifying. Have an online conversation with one of our scientists! You'll have to help us, though, by also providing as much detailed information as you can about your specimen:

Where did you find the specimen? Provide us with a location and the type of habitat.
What does it look like? What was its size? What is the color? How many legs?
Is there anything unique about the specimen?
For plants, is it a tree, shrub or herb? Does it have flowers or fruit, and what do they look like?

How does it work?

The basic steps are:

Take a picture and download it to your computer.

Go to ask.bishopmuseum.org and simply click on "submit your question" at the top of the page.

Provide a descriptive title, and write as much information about your specimen in the box.

Select the best choices from the drop-down menus.

Select your images (maximum of 2 per specimen) - be sure to push the Upload Now! button.

Check back in a couple of days to see what a Scientist has to say!

Add another comment or answer the questions the Scientist has.

If you are a regular user, you might like to become a Registered user so that you can track your submissions more easily.

Your image didn't automatically show up? It will appear as soon as a Bishop Museum Scientist can be contacted!

Need more information or help?

Send an email to: talktoascientist@bishopmuseum.org and we'll help you out!