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When a team of ichthyologist researchers returned from the first-ever marine survey on the Cuyuni River in Guyana, they faced nearly an impossible challenge of identifying 5,000 species of fish in one week to obtain the required export permit. Instead of tackling this immense task alone, the researchers turned instead to one unlikely source- a network of marine experts, all on Facebook. 

Within 24 hours of posting a log of specimen images online, 90 percent of the 5000 fish had been labeled to the genus, two new species identified, and created a fantastic reference for the region. The team –sponsored by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History– relied on the help from experts in dozens of marine fields, who hailed from countries including United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil.

"Social networking is so powerful," said Devin Bloom, a researcher from the University of Toronto, "and scientists should be using it more to connect with the world-at-large." (ANI)

More information on this great story can be found on the Smithsonian Science Website.