The Experts below are selected from a list of 279975 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Chad T Walter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
global coordination and standardisation in Marine biodiversity through the world register of Marine Species worms and related databases
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Mark J. Costello, Gary C. B. Poore, Sabine Stöhr, P Bouchet, Geoff A Boxshall, Kristian Fauchald, Dennis P Gordon, Bert W Hoeksema, Rob W M Van Soest, Chad T WalterAbstract:The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all Marine Species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with Species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on Marine Species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic Species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subSpecies), 368,000 Species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted Marine Species names, and 26,000 related but non-Marine Species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of Species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and Marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on Species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the scientific community, and anticipate increased taxonomic efficiency and quality control in Marine biodiversity research and management.
Mark J. Costello - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Mapping Marine Species richness and endemicity at global scales
2018Co-Authors: Mark J. Costello, Tri Arifanti, Chhaya Chaudhary, Dinusha Jayathilake, Han-yang Lin, Marta Pagès, Joko Pamungkas, Hanieh Saeedi, Phuping Sucharitakul, Qianshuo ZhaoAbstract:Understanding biodiversity at local and regional requires a global context. This talk presents the global pattern of Marine Species richness and endemicity, including latitude and depth. We compare maps of Marine Species endemicity across all taxa (65,000 Species), and particular taxa (razor clams, amphipods, polychaetes, seagrass, jellyfish, bryozoans, fish), with a new map of Marine ecosystems based on analysis of 20 environmental variables. We show how Species richness increases with temperature but dips at the equator, and decreases with depth. Thirty biogeographic realms are distinguished based on Species endemicity, with more in coastal than offshore areas. Species richness and endemicity are higher in benthic than pelagic taxa, and macro- than micro- and mega-fauna. However, we should expect individual taxa to vary from these overall patterns due to their evolutionary origins and competition with other taxa; and patterns within geographic regions to vary due to constancy of some environmental variables (e.g. temperature) and local scale habitat variation. Thus nesting of taxon and regional studies within this global context may indicate how ecological interactions have shaped the global evolution of Marine biodiversity.
-
Marine Species Richness Is Bimodal with Latitude: A Reply to Fernandez and Marques
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2017Co-Authors: Chhaya Chaudhary, Hanieh Saeedi, Mark J. CostelloAbstract:Our review of the literature and available data on latitudinal gradients in Marine Species richness found that in all previous studies, and for a dataset of 65 000 Species, they were bimodal, with a dip in richness immediately south of the Equator (−5° to −15°) [1]. This was the case for benthic and pelagic, vertebrate and invertebrate, and all Species together.
-
Bimodality of Latitudinal Gradients in Marine Species Richness
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2016Co-Authors: Chhaya Chaudhary, Hanieh Saeedi, Mark J. CostelloAbstract:The paradigm for the latitudinal gradient in Species richness is that it is unimodal with a tropical peak. For 27 published studies, and global datasets of 65 000 recent and 50 000 fossil Marine Species, we found that almost all datasets were significantly bimodal with a dip in Species richness near the equator. The locations of mid-latitude peaks varied between taxa and were higher in the northern hemisphere where the continental shelf is greatest. Our findings support hypotheses of tropical Species evolving in response to temperature variation near the edges of the tropics and available high-productivity habitat. They suggest that the equator may already be too hot for some Species and that the modes may move further apart due to climate warming.
-
Biological and ecological traits of Marine Species
PeerJ, 2015Co-Authors: Mark J. Costello, Simon Claus, S. Dekeyzer, Leen Vandepitte, Éamonn Ó Tuama, D Lear, H Tyler-waltersAbstract:This paper reviews the utility and availability of biological and ecological traits for Marine Species so as to prioritise the development of a world database on Marine Species traits. In addition, the ‘status’ of Species for conservation, that is, whether they are introduced or invasive, of fishery or aquaculture interest, harmful, or used as an ecological indicator, were reviewed because these attributes are of particular interest to society. Whereas traits are an enduring characteristic of a Species and/or population, a Species status may vary geographically and over time. Criteria for selecting traits were that they could be applied to most taxa, were easily available, and their inclusion would result in new research and/or management applications. Numerical traits were favoured over categorical. Habitat was excluded as it can be derived from a selection of these traits. Ten traits were prioritized for inclusion in the most comprehensive open access database on Marine Species (World Register of Marine Species), namely taxonomic classification, environment, geography, depth, substratum, mobility, skeleton, diet, body size and reproduction. These traits and statuses are being added to the database and new use cases may further subdivide and expand upon them.
-
global coordination and standardisation in Marine biodiversity through the world register of Marine Species worms and related databases
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Mark J. Costello, Gary C. B. Poore, Sabine Stöhr, P Bouchet, Geoff A Boxshall, Kristian Fauchald, Dennis P Gordon, Bert W Hoeksema, Rob W M Van Soest, Chad T WalterAbstract:The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all Marine Species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with Species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on Marine Species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic Species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subSpecies), 368,000 Species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted Marine Species names, and 26,000 related but non-Marine Species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of Species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and Marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on Species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the scientific community, and anticipate increased taxonomic efficiency and quality control in Marine biodiversity research and management.
Fabien Leprieur - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Towards a better understanding of potential impacts of climate change on Marine Species distribution: a multiscale modelling approach
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2014Co-Authors: Tarek Hattab, Camille Albouy, Frida Ben Rais Lasram, Samuel Somot, François Le Loc’h, Fabien LeprieurAbstract:Aim : In this paper, we applied the concept of hierarchical filters' in community ecology to model Marine Species distribution at nested spatial scales. Location Global : Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia). Methods : We combined the predictions of bioclimatic envelope models (BEMs) and habitat models to assess the current distribution of 20 exploited Marine Species in the Gulf of Gabes. BEMs were first built at a global extent to account for the full range of climatic conditions encountered by a given Species. Habitat models were then built using fine-grained habitat variables at the scale of the Gulf of Gabes. We also used this hierarchical filtering approach to project the future distribution of these Species under both climate change (the A2 scenario implemented with the Mediterranean climatic model NEMOMED8) and habitat loss (the loss of Posidonia oceanica meadows) scenarios. Results : The hierarchical filtering approach predicted current Species geographical ranges to be on average 56% smaller than those predicted using the BEMs alone. This pattern was also observed under the climate change scenario. Combining the habitat loss and climate change scenarios indicated that the magnitude of range shifts due to climate change was larger than from the loss of P. oceanica meadows. Main conclusions : Our findings emphasize that BEMs may overestimate current and future ranges of Marine Species if Species-habitat relationships are not also considered. A hierarchical filtering approach that accounts for fine-grained habitat variables limits the uncertainty associated with model-based recommendations, thus ensuring their outputs remain applicable within the context of Marine resource management.
Tarek Hattab - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
An open-source framework to model present and future Marine Species distributions at local scale
Ecological Informatics, 2020Co-Authors: Frida Ben Rais Lasram, Tarek Hattab, Quentin Nogues, Grégory Beaugrand, Jean-claude Dauvin, Ghassen Halouani, François Le Loc'h, Nathalie Niquil, Boris LeroyAbstract:Abstract Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are useful tools to project potential future Species distributions under climate change scenarios. Despite the ability to run SDMs in recent and reliable tools, there are some misuses and proxies that are widely practiced and rarely addressed together, particularly when dealing with Marine Species. In this paper, we propose an open-source framework that includes (i) a procedure for homogenizing occurrence data to reduce the influence of sampling bias, (ii) a procedure for generating pseudo-absences, (iii) a hierarchical-filter approach, (iv) full incorporation of the third dimension by considering climatic variables at multiple depths and (v) building of maps that predict current and potential future ranges of Marine Species. This framework is available for non-modeller ecologists interested in investigating future Species ranges with a user-friendly script. We investigated the robustness of the framework by applying it to Marine Species of the Eastern English Channel. Projections were built for the middle and the end of this century under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios.
-
Towards a better understanding of potential impacts of climate change on Marine Species distribution: a multiscale modelling approach
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2014Co-Authors: Tarek Hattab, Camille Albouy, Frida Ben Rais Lasram, Samuel Somot, François Le Loc’h, Fabien LeprieurAbstract:Aim : In this paper, we applied the concept of hierarchical filters' in community ecology to model Marine Species distribution at nested spatial scales. Location Global : Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia). Methods : We combined the predictions of bioclimatic envelope models (BEMs) and habitat models to assess the current distribution of 20 exploited Marine Species in the Gulf of Gabes. BEMs were first built at a global extent to account for the full range of climatic conditions encountered by a given Species. Habitat models were then built using fine-grained habitat variables at the scale of the Gulf of Gabes. We also used this hierarchical filtering approach to project the future distribution of these Species under both climate change (the A2 scenario implemented with the Mediterranean climatic model NEMOMED8) and habitat loss (the loss of Posidonia oceanica meadows) scenarios. Results : The hierarchical filtering approach predicted current Species geographical ranges to be on average 56% smaller than those predicted using the BEMs alone. This pattern was also observed under the climate change scenario. Combining the habitat loss and climate change scenarios indicated that the magnitude of range shifts due to climate change was larger than from the loss of P. oceanica meadows. Main conclusions : Our findings emphasize that BEMs may overestimate current and future ranges of Marine Species if Species-habitat relationships are not also considered. A hierarchical filtering approach that accounts for fine-grained habitat variables limits the uncertainty associated with model-based recommendations, thus ensuring their outputs remain applicable within the context of Marine resource management.
Sabine Stöhr - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Improving nomenclatural consistency: a decade of experience in the World Register of Marine Species
European Journal of Taxonomy, 2017Co-Authors: Tammy Horton, Nicolas Bailly, Andreas Kroh, Serge Gofas, Gary C. B. Poore, Geoffrey B. Read, Gary Rosenberg, Sabine Stöhr, Nicole Boury-esnault, Simone N. BrandãoAbstract:The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) has been established for a decade. The early history of the database involved compilation of existing global and regional Species registers. This aggregation, combined with changes to data types and the changing needs of WoRMS users, has resulted in an evolution of data-entry consistency over time. With the task of aggregating the accepted Species names for all Marine Species approaching completion, our focus has shifted to improving the consistency and quality of data held while keeping pace with the addition of > 2000 new Marine Species described annually. This paper defines priorities and longer-term aims that promote standardisation within and interoperability among biodiversity databases, provides editors with further information on how to input nomenclatural data in a standardised way and clarifies for users of WoRMS how and why names are represented as they are. We 1) explain the categories of names included; 2) list standard reasons used to explain why a name is considered ‘unaccepted’ or ‘uncertain’; 3) present and explain the more difficult situations encountered; 4) describe categories of sources and notes linked to a taxon; and 5) recommend how type material, type locality and environmental information should be entered.
-
global coordination and standardisation in Marine biodiversity through the world register of Marine Species worms and related databases
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Mark J. Costello, Gary C. B. Poore, Sabine Stöhr, P Bouchet, Geoff A Boxshall, Kristian Fauchald, Dennis P Gordon, Bert W Hoeksema, Rob W M Van Soest, Chad T WalterAbstract:The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all Marine Species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with Species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on Marine Species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic Species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subSpecies), 368,000 Species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted Marine Species names, and 26,000 related but non-Marine Species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of Species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and Marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on Species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the scientific community, and anticipate increased taxonomic efficiency and quality control in Marine biodiversity research and management.
