diff --git a/src/data/BioTree.java b/src/data/BioTree.java
index 362adfcbb98a314e5bb9109d33e53162a5f96858..97ec7ed0dcde1b616d81fc38d9f2ede1a6b7bf93 100644
--- a/src/data/BioTree.java
+++ b/src/data/BioTree.java
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ public class BioTree implements Serializable {
 	 */
 	public static Integer processRecord(String scientificName) throws IOException, ParseException {
 		//reverse lookup based on name, try adding the found taxonId.
-		Integer taxonId = getTaxonRecord(scientificName);
+		Integer taxonId = nameToTaxonId(scientificName);
 		System.out.println(scientificName + ": " + taxonId);
 		if (taxonId == null) return null;
 		if (taxonId == -1)   return null;
@@ -237,6 +237,22 @@ public class BioTree implements Serializable {
 		return idNodes.get(taxonId);
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Get the species at a given index (taxonId). This assumes that the
+	 * node already exists or else it will return null. As such, it is best
+	 * to use this function once all the data has been parsed and the BioTree
+	 * has been built. 
+	 * 
+	 * @param i
+	 *            The speciesid (index) of the species.
+	 * @return The Species object.
+	 * @throws ParseException 
+	 * @throws IOException 
+	 */
+	public static TaxonNode getTaxonRecord(String scientificName) throws IOException, ParseException {
+		return idNodes.get(nameToTaxonId(scientificName));
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Get the TaxonNode containing information about the given scientific name. 
 	 * This assumes that thenode already exists locally or else it will return null. 
@@ -249,7 +265,7 @@ public class BioTree implements Serializable {
 	 * @throws ParseException 
 	 * @throws IOException 
 	 */
-	public static Integer getTaxonRecord(String scientificName) throws IOException, ParseException {
+	public static Integer nameToTaxonId(String scientificName) throws IOException, ParseException {
 		Integer taxonId;
 		//look up based on string literal, return if found
 		TaxonNode tx = strNodes.get(scientificName);
diff --git a/src/model/TrawlExpert.java b/src/model/TrawlExpert.java
index 70b8667bbaaedfd5f1b6626a377bec2188051f73..a0a1ed490366e6760ad7b60002fa7af1297b5f50 100644
--- a/src/model/TrawlExpert.java
+++ b/src/model/TrawlExpert.java
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package model;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+
 import org.json.simple.parser.ParseException;
 
 import data.BioTree;
 import data.DataStore;
 import data.FileProcessor;
 import data.Record;
+import data.TaxonNode;
 import search.BasicSearch;
 import search.BasicSearchResult;
 import sort.KDT;
@@ -37,4 +40,18 @@ public class TrawlExpert {
 	public BasicSearchResult rangeSearch(Integer taxonId, Integer yearLo, Integer yearHi) {
 		return BasicSearch.range(taxonId, yearLo, yearHi);
 	}
+	
+	public TaxonNode getTaxonRecord(Integer taxonId) {
+		return BioTree.getTaxonRecord(taxonId);
+	}
+	
+	public TaxonNode getTaxonRecord(String scientificName) {
+		try {
+			return BioTree.getTaxonRecord(scientificName);
+		} catch (IOException | ParseException e) {
+			// TODO Auto-generated catch block
+			e.printStackTrace();
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
 }