The primary mission of the Laboratory is to make species- specific identification of wildlife parts and products seized as evidence, much like a police crime laboratory, and to match suspect, victim, and crime scene together through the examination and comparison of physical evidence. Because there are few wildlife forensic techniques available to make species-specific identifications, the Laboratory staff conducts extensive research to develop new identification methods. Although the Laboratory is a national resource, it is managed as an organizational unit of Region 1. The Laboratory has five major components.
Morphological identification is based primarily on visual characteristics.
Typical specimens may include suspected big game meats or dried blood on hunter's clothing. A visual information specialist provides graphics support for the scientific research and translates scientific evidence into visual displays for court and educational purposes.