An unidentified collection of bryozoans made by L. F. Pourtalès and L. Agassiz during the Hassler Expedition (1871–1872) was recently discovered in the teaching collection of the Invertebrate Paleontology Department at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Bryozoan samples found included stations from Barbados to Brazil and around the coast of South America to La Jolla, California.

The first and most successful deepwater collecting of bryozoans was done early in the expedition at two stations (146 m and 183 m) off Barbados, on December 29 and 30, 1871. Thirty-one taxa of bryozoans were collected at the Barbados stations: five cyclostomes and 26 cheilostomes, including one new genus. None of the cyclostomes was reproductive, so taxa could not be identified to species level. Of the 26 cheilostomes, 16 represent new species: Caberea hassleri, Cellaria louisorum, Exochella tropica, Smittoidea reginae, Parasmittina barbadensis, Parkermavella salebrosa, Hippoporina rutelliformis, Metroperiella agassizi, Stylopoma haywardi, Barbadiopsis trepida, Gemelliporina hastata, Buffonellaria ensifera, Cigclisula gemmea, Rhynchozoon sexaspinatum, Stephanollona propinqua, and Reteporellina directa. All species found are described and illustrated with scanning electron microscope photographs. Bryozoans of the Hassler Expedition are now incorporated into the collections of the Department of Marine Invertebrates of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.