DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27620676.v2
title: marineSpeciesTraits: Global Marine Species Traits Database

description: <b>Biodiversity Data Science</b> [www.biodiversitydatascience.com]Citation: Global Marine Species Traits Database (marineSpeciesTraits). Assis, J. & Fragkopoulou, E. (2024) marineSpeciesTraits: Global Marine Species Traits Database [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.27620676-----------------This dataset provides a comprehensive compilation of traits for a vast number of marine species, sourced from a combination of reputable databases and expert knowledge. It includes <b>110,000 marine species</b>, encompassing a wide range of taxonomic groups, including (not exclusively) Ochrophyta (brown algae), Rhodophyta (red algae), chlorophyta (green algae), Tracheophyta (seagrass and mangroves), Chordata (mammals, birds, fish and turtles), Arthropods (crustaceans), Mollusks (snails, clams, squids, octopuses), Echinoderms (sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers), Brachiopoda (lamp shells), Cnidarians (jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, hydras), Sponges, Annelida (polychaetes) and Bryozoa. For each species, the database includes key information such as taxonomy, expert information on geographic and depth distributions, and important species-specific traits (e.g., allometric relationships, habitat preference, feeding type, trophic level, longevity and behaviour). Importantly, the dataset also incorporates information on fishing vulnerability, and IUCN conservation status, providing valuable insights into the ecological and conservation significance of each species.The creation of this database involved a meticulous multi-step process.  Initially, species lists were extracted from FishBase and SeaLifeBase, two widely used resources for marine species information. These lists were then standardized and enriched using the WoRMS (https://www.marinespecies.org) database, ensuring taxonomic consistency and resolving synonyms. Subsequently, a variety of traits driven by expert knowledge were extracted from AquaMaps, FishBase, SeaLifeBase and IUCN. This information was supplemented by data gathered from existing literature, such as published datasets on the distribution of demosponges (Vafeiadou et al., 2024), cold-water corals (Balogh et al., 2023), and marine forests (Assis et al., 2020). These additional sources provided valuable information for species not fully covered in the primary databases, ensuring a more comprehensive compilation of traits.This database holds immense potential for macroecological and biogeographical research. Its extensive coverage of species and traits allows for large-scale analyses of biodiversity patterns, species distributions, and the factors that influence them. Researchers can use this data to investigate the relationships between species traits and environmental variables, predict the impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity, and identify priority areas for conservation. Furthermore, the inclusion of traits like fishing vulnerability and conservation status enables the assessment of extinction risk and the development of effective conservation strategies. This database represents a valuable resource for understanding the complex dynamics of marine ecosystems and for informing sustainable management practices.-----------------<b>Files</b>marineSpeciesTraits: The full dataset comprising <b>110,000</b> marine species.marineSpeciesTraitsReduced: A reduced version of the dataset comprising <b>70,000</b> marine species, with no missing information on geographic and depth distributions.-----------------<b>Taxonomic fields</b>originalScientificName: Original scientific name from the source database.taxKingdom: Taxonomic kingdom.taxPhylum: Taxonomic phylum.taxClass: Taxonomic class.taxOrder: Taxonomic order.taxFamily: Taxonomic family.taxGenus: Taxonomic genus.scientificName: Scientific name according to WoRMS.acceptedName: Accepted scientific name (if different from the original).status: Taxonomic status (e.g., accepted, synonym).authority: Authority for the scientific name.AphiaID: Unique identifier from WoRMS.acceptedAphiaID: AphiaID of the accepted name.acceptedAuthority: Authority for the accepted name.-----------------<b>Distribution fields</b>faoAreaCode: FAO area codes where the species occurs.faoAreaCodeRef: Reference(s) for the FAO area information.-----------------<b>Depth and habitat fields</b>DepthRangeShallow: Shallow end of the depth range (in meters).DepthRangeDeep: Deep end of the depth range (in meters).DepthRangeRef: Reference(s) for the depth range information.DepthMin: Minimum recorded depth (in meters).DepthPrefMin: Preferred minimum depth (in meters).DepthMax: Maximum recorded depth (in meters).DepthPrefMax: Preferred maximum depth (in meters).DepthSourceTax: Taxonomic level at which depth information was sourced (species or genus).HabitatZone: Habitat zone (e.g., littoral, sublittoral).DemersPelag: Demersal or pelagic status.Benthic: Whether the species is benthic (living on the seafloor).Sessile: Whether the species is sessile (immobile).Mobile: Whether the species is mobile.Demersal: Whether the species is demersal (living near the seafloor).Endofauna: Whether the species is endofauna (living within the sediment).Pelagic: Whether the species is pelagic (living in the water column).-----------------<b>Ecologic fields</b>AquamapsSpeciesId: Species ID in the AquaMaps database.Aquarium: Whether the species is kept in aquariums.AquariumRef: Reference(s) for aquarium information.GameFish: Whether the species is a game fish.GameRef: Reference(s) for game fish information.Aquaculture: Whether the species is used in aquaculture.AquacultureRef: Reference(s) for aquaculture information.LifeCycle: Life cycle information.Importance: Economic or ecological importance.ImportanceRef: Reference(s) for importance information.LongevityWild: Longevity in the wild.LongevityWildRef: Reference(s) for longevity information.trophicLevel: Trophic level.trophicLevelSD: Standard deviation of the trophic level.priorR: Prior r value (used in trophic level estimation).fishingVulnerability: Fishing vulnerability index.phylogeneticDiversityIndex: Phylogenetic diversity index.Length: Maximum recorded length.CommonLength: Common length.Weight: Maximum recorded weight.Parasitism: Whether the species exhibits parasitism.Mutualism: Whether the species exhibits mutualism.Commensalism: Whether the species exhibits commensalism.Symphorism: Whether the species exhibits symphorism.Symbiosis: Whether the species exhibits symbiosis.EcoseTroph: Ecospace trophic level.EcoTroph: Ecopath trophic level.IsoTroph: Isotope trophic level.FoodRemark: Remarks on the species' food.FoodSeTroph: Standard error of the food trophic level.FoodTroph: Food trophic level.FoodRef: Reference(s) for food information.DietSeTroph: Standard error of the diet trophic level.DietTLu: Trophic level unit for the diet.DietseTLu: Standard error of the trophic level unit for the diet.DietRemark: Remarks on the species' diet.DietRef: Reference(s) for diet information.DietTroph: Diet trophic level.FeedingType: Feeding type (e.g., herbivore, carnivore).FeedingTypeRef: Reference(s) for feeding type information.Herbivory2: Herbivory information.HerbivoryRef: Reference(s) for herbivory information.AgeMax: Maximum recorded age.AgeMin: Minimum recorded age.DepthMaxEstimate: Estimated maximum depth.DepthMinEstimate: Estimated minimum depth.PredPreyRatioMax: Maximum predator-prey ratio.PredPreyRatioMin: Minimum predator-prey ratio.TrophPredicted: Predicted trophic level.TrophObserved: Observed trophic level.-----------------<b>Conservation fields:</b>iucnCriteria: IUCN Red List criteria.iucnCriteriaDim: IUCN Red List dimension.iucnCriteriaRef: Reference for IUCN assessment.-----------------<b>References</b>Vafeiadou, A., Fragkopoulou & Assis, J. (2024). A global dataset of demosponge distribution records. Data in Brief. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2024.110200Balogh, V., Fragkopoulou, E., Serrão, E. A., & Assis, J. (2023). A dataset of cold-water coral distribution records. Data in Brief. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.109223Assis, J., Fragkopoulou, E., Frade, D., Neiva, J., Oliveira, A., Abecasis, D., Faugeron, S., Serrão, E. A., Frade, D., Neiva, J., Oliveira, A., Abecasis, D., Faugeron, S., & Serrão, E. A. (2020). A fine-tuned global distribution dataset of marine forests. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0459-x<br>