Download Marine habitat classifications for data exchange

Mark J. Costello
University of Auckland, New Zealand
and EcoServe, Ireland
m.costello@auckland.ac.nz
EMODNET Biology 2012
Classifying nature
 Taxonomic and phylogenetic
 Standardised in WoRMS
 Spatial and temporal
 Seas, Regions, Depth, fossil stratigraphy, ..
 Biological
 Habit, longevity, reproduction, size, life-stage(s),
behaviour
 Ecological
 Environment, Habitat, guild,
Some cool marine species
Phronima
shrimp living in a salp.
Photo: H. Bahena
Deep-sea dragonfish.
Photo: Julian Finn, Museum Victoria
Burglar alarm
jellyfish
and hydroid.
Venus fly-trap.
Gulf of Mexico 1500 m
Photo: I. MacDonald
Zombie worm.
Eats bones dead whales.
Photo: Y. Fuijjwara, JAMSTEC
Photos: JAMSTEC
Deep sea octopus,
Benthoctopus
Gulf of Mexico
2700m
Photo : I. MacDonald
Biological classifications
 Longevity (maximum, average)
 Body size (length, weight)
 Diet, feeding method
 Habit - growth form
 Mobility, dispersal
 Reproduction (method, age maturity, fecundity,
recruitment)
 Life-stages
 Candidate standards in FishBase , MarLIN’s BIOTIC,
Who wants habitat and ecosystem
classifications?
Global data and information systems
 Ocean Biogeographic Information System *
 Global Earth Observation System of Systems GEOSS of GEO*
International organisations
 Inter-governmental: UNESCO, UNEP, IOC, FAO, CBD *
 Conservation: WWF, IUCN, WCS, TNC, Ramsar *
Regional agencies
 European Commission
 European Environment Agency
 NOAA
Individuals
 Environment managers
 Ecologists
* Need classifications to apply globally
Why classifications needed?
Communicate conditions where
species live
Mapping natural resources
Comparison of like-with-like
areas
Distinguish different areas
Traits for assessment and
analysis of ecosystem
function and services
So enabling
 identification of habitats for
protection
 data exchange and
management
 resource mapping
 reporting on marine
biodiversity
 Assessments of ‘ecological
function’ and ‘ecosystem
services’
Many are context dependent
A habitat is….
Environment where one or more species live (not a place),
i.e. defined in context of species presence
May be of
one species or population,
or an assemblage of species.
May be identified by physical or biological environment
Related terms: ecosystems, biogeographic regions (realms, biomes,
provinces, ecoregions)
Different perspectives
 Wide ranging birds, mammals, turtles, large fish
 Benthic invertebrates
 Plankton
Different sampling methods
 Remotely sensed (surface,
seabed)
 In-situ sampling (water,
seabed)
 Expert opinion
Satellite
Aerial
Acoustic
Visual
Grabs, cores, dredges, nets, traps
Microscope
Lines drawn on maps based on
variety of information
Different concepts
 Regions
Defined by opinion
 Seascapes
Defined by physiographic
features
 Biotopes
Defined by biology (species
present)
Sometimes combined in a hierarchy
Criteria for data exchange
Must be
 relevant to marine species distributions
 in use (or fulfil new need) and so build on existing
systems
Should
 allow translation between systems
 provide a standard vocabulary with clear
definitions of terminology
Proposed approaches
Search
 Maps of expert defined regions
 Maps of seascapes defined by depth and coastline
 Data matched to biotopes by either
 (a) associated habitat data,
 (b) inference from species present.
Any can be hierarchical to facilitate seeing maps at different
spatial scales or compare more similar regions and habitats.
Marine regions
IHO Seas &
oceans
Large Marine
Ecosystems LME
Biogeographic
realms
Exclusive
Economic
Zones
EEZ
Marine
Ecoregions
of the World
MEOW
Global Open Ocean &
Deep-Sea GOODS
FAO
fisheries
Longhurst pelagic
ecosystems
Global topographic ‘habitats’
Could create a map
of topographic
features (slopes,
shelves, canyons,
plains, etc..)
Data from:
Costello MJ, et al. 2010.
Topography statistics for
the surface and seabed
area, volume, depth and
slope, of the world’s seas,
oceans and countries.
Environ. Sci .Technol. 44,
8821-8828.
Train datasets to map seascapes
e.g. seamounts
Seashore habitats (biotopes)
Littoral rock




Supralittoral (lichen zone)
Wave exposed
Moderately wave exposed
Wave sheltered (fucoid shores)
Littoral sediments







Shingle (pebble) and gravel
Sandy beach
Muddy sands
Littoral seagrass beds
Littoral muds
Saltmarsh
Mixed sediments
All identifiable in EUNIS,
NatureServe-NOAA and
other classifications.
Included in some OBIS
datasets (BioMar,
JNCC/MNCR).
Sublittoral habitats (biotopes)
Infralittoral rock
Sediments








Wave exposed reef
Moderately wave exposed
Sand or gravel scoured
Sheltered
 Estuarine
Circalittoral rock
 Exposed
 Moderately exposed
 Sheltered
Shallow gravel
Shallow sand
Shallow mud
Shallow mixed sediments
 Estuarine gravel, sand, mud etc.
 Maerl beds
 Seagrass beds
 Oyster beds
 Offshore gravel, sand, mud etc.
Offshore
 Lophelia (coral) reefs
Mapping biotopes
Leigh Marine Laboratory,
North Island, New Zealand
Globally applicable
 Regions
 defined by experts as shape-files (polygons)
 Seascapes
 defined by coastline shape and bathymetry
 Biotopes
 species assemblages distinguished by depth,
substratum, and wave exposure
Search options online databases
Regions *
Seascapes *
 EEZ
 Seas and
 Seamounts





oceans
FAO areas
ICES areas
UNEP LME
Longhurst
pelagic
MEOW
 Coral reefs
 Estuaries
 …etc.
* Global maps pre-prepared i.e.
‘context’ dependent
** Linked to data records or
derived from species present
Biotopes **
Pelagic
some in EUNIS
Benthic

Littoral
• Rock


Wave exposed
Wave sheltered
• Sediment





Gravel
Sand
Muddy sand
mud
Sublittoral
• Rock


…etc.
Wave exposed
Ecological classifications
Concept
Defined by
Sampling method
Habitat
Physical environment in which a species, or
assemblage of species, lives
Expert opinion based on biogeography,
oceanography and practical management
area
Dependant on the species of
interest
Only sampled as seascapes or
habitats
Region
Seascape
Topography, physiography and hydrography Acoustic mapping, aerial
photography,
spectrophotometric sensing
Biotope
Biological community and its physical
habitat
Visual observation,
photography, samples of
substrata and biota
Guild
Habitat, body size, sampling method (e.g.
net or sieve mesh), diet, habit.
As for biotopes
Ecological classifications
Body size
PicoNanoMicroMeio- or MesoMacroMega-
Environment
Pleuston
Neuston
Plankton
Nekton
Phyto-, Zoo- plankton
Demersal hyperbenthos benthopelagic
Benthos
Epi-fauna, flora, biota; epipelic
Infauna, endopelic
Interstitial
Diet
Predator
Scavenger
Omnivore
Herbivore
Parasite
Plant photoautotroph
Grazer
Suspension feeder
Filter feeder
Deposit feeder
Detrivore
Decomposer
Chemoautotroph
Habit
Sessile
Sedentary
Tubicolous
Burrowing
Drifting
Solitary
Gregarious
Colonial
Encrusting
Inquiline
Symbiotic
Mobile
(vagile)
Conclusions
 Existing habitat classifications can be used for data exchange and
management
 Some can be presented as maps overlaid on point data, others are
linked to individual data records
 Different concepts need to be dealt with separately
 No need to force hierarchies!
Let user select ‘layers’.
m.costello@auckland.ac.nz
Some cool marine species
Phronima
shrimp living in a salp.
Photo: H. Bahena
Deep-sea dragonfish.
Photo: Julian Finn, Museum Victoria
Burglar alarm
jellyfish
and hydroid.
Venus fly-trap.
Gulf of Mexico 1500 m
Photo: I. MacDonald
Zombie worm.
Eats bones dead whales.
Photo: Y. Fuijjwara, JAMSTEC
Photos: JAMSTEC
Deep sea octopus,
Benthoctopus
Gulf of Mexico
2700m
Photo : I. MacDonald
Outlook
Review marine species traits in use
Define traits by expanding WoRMS glossary (publish
online)
Design framework for matching attributes (traits) to
species in WoRMS ----- publish?
Have drop-down menu of traits
Match to higher taxa and correct for exceptions
Track source of information (e.g. textbook, expert name)
Conduct analysis of patterns found ----- publish?
Tropical, shallow-water coral reefs from
satellites: global classification
Bahamas
Potential for maps of other
Cubahabitats
shallow-water
e.g. rock, sand, kelp,
seagrass, mangrove
Image from Serge Andrefouet
(IRD New Caledonia) and colleagues
North New
Caledonia