Sample-associated imagery now available through the NEON Biorepository
August 26, 2026
New sample-associated imagery is now available through the NEON Biorepository! These newly available resources include:
Scans of canopy foliage used to calculate leaf mass per area;
Photographs of fish sampled for DNA barcoding; and
Reference images generated during taxonomic identification of aquatic samples
By linking these images to their corresponding NEON Biorepository records, NEON is making imagery generated throughout sample collection and processing accessible for additional research and reuse by the community.
Canopy foliage is collected from sunlit vegetation at NEON terrestrial sites. As part of processing, the collected foliage is scanned to measure leaf area, then oven-dried and weighed to calculate leaf mass per area (LMA). Another subsample of the material is analyzed for foliar chemistry, with remaining ground, dried material archived at the NEON Biorepository and made freely available to the community for additional analyses. Until now, NEON has provided the derived chemical and trait measurements without making the underlying LMA scans broadly available.
Accessing the Images
Users can access the canopy foliage scans through the NEON Biorepository, where images are associated with their corresponding archived Canopy Foliage sample records. Image links can be downloaded from the Records tab via the Expanded download package type. Within the package, image links are provided in multimedia.csv, with one image per row. The coreid field corresponds to the occid primary key in occurrences.csv, linking each image to its specimen record. New canopy foliage scans will be added annually as they become available.
During sampling, fish are photographed to document individuals from which fin clips are collected for DNA barcoding. Because fish are typically released after sampling, these photos provide a visual record of the organism associated with the barcode data and archived DNA extracts. In cases of accidental mortalities, the physical specimens are also archived.
Accessing the Images
Users can access the fish photographs through the NEON Biorepository, where images are associated with their corresponding Fish DNA Extract or Fish Specimen records. Data can be downloaded from the Records tab via the Expanded download package type. Within the package, image links are provided in multimedia.csv, with one image per row. The coreid field corresponds to the occid primary key in occurrences.csv, linking each image to its specimen record. New images will be added annually as they become available.
Aquatic Taxonomic Identification
Images generated by contracted taxonomic experts to provide species identifications for several NEON Aquatic Observation System protocols (Microalgae, Zooplankton and Macroalgae) are now available.
During taxonomic analysis, experts identify taxa present within aquatic samples and may decide to generate reference images to document the material used for identification. Each image represents an identified taxon within its associated parent sample record and provides a visual reference for the taxonomist’s identification.
Image links can be downloaded from the Records tab via the Expanded download package type. Within the package, image links are provided in multimedia.csv, with one image per row. The coreid field corresponds to the occid primary key in occurrences.csv, linking each image to its specimen record. New images will be added as they become available.
