Mark J. Costello University of Auckland, New Zealand and EcoServe, Ireland 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,

Deep-sea dragonfish. Photo: Julian Finn, Museum Victoria Phronima shrimp living in a salp. Photo: H. Bahena Deep sea octopus, Benthoctopus Gulf of Mexico 2700m Photo : I. MacDonald Venus fly-trap. Gulf of Mexico 1500 m Photo: I. MacDonald Zombie worm. Eats bones dead whales. Photo: Y. Fuijjwara, JAMSTEC Burglar alarm jellyfish and hydroid. Photos: JAMSTEC Some cool marine species

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 Seascapes Biotopes Defined by opinion Defined by physiographic features 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 Longhurst pelagic ecosystems FAO fisheries Exclusive Economic Zones EEZ Marine Ecoregions of the World MEOW Large Marine Ecosystems LME Global Open Ocean & Deep-Sea GOODS Biogeographic realms

Global topographic ‘habitats’ Remodelled from Smih & Sandwell’s satellite derived gravitational anomaly dataset Data from: Costello MJ, et al Topography statistics for the surface and seabed area, volume, depth and slope, of the world’s seas, oceans and countries. Environ. Sci.Technol. 44, Could create a map of topographic features (slopes, shelves, canyons, plains, etc..)

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 Wave exposed reef Moderately wave exposed Sand or gravel scoured Sheltered Estuarine Circalittoral rock Exposed Moderately exposed Sheltered Offshore Lophelia (coral) reefs Sediments 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.

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 * EEZ Seas and oceans FAO areas ICES areas UNEP LME Longhurst pelagic MEOW Seascapes * Seamounts Coral reefs Estuaries …etc. Biotopes ** Pelagic some in EUNIS Benthic Littoral Littoral RockRock Wave exposed Wave exposed Wave sheltered Wave sheltered SedimentSediment Gravel Gravel Sand Sand Muddy sand Muddy sand mud mud Sublittoral Sublittoral RockRock Wave exposed Wave exposed …etc. …etc. * Global maps pre-prepared i.e. ‘context’ dependent ** Linked to data records or derived from species present

Ecological classifications ConceptDefined bySampling method HabitatPhysical environment in which a species, or assemblage of species, lives Dependant on the species of interest RegionExpert opinion based on biogeography, oceanography and practical management area Only sampled as seascapes or habitats SeascapeTopography, physiography and hydrographyAcoustic mapping, aerial photography, spectrophotometric sensing BiotopeBiological community and its physical habitat Visual observation, photography, samples of substrata and biota GuildHabitat, body size, sampling method (e.g. net or sieve mesh), diet, habit. As for biotopes

Ecological classifications Body sizeEnvironmentDietHabit Pico-PleustonPredatorSessile Nano-NeustonScavengerSedentary Micro-PlanktonOmnivoreTubicolous Meio- or Meso-NektonHerbivoreBurrowing Macro-Phyto-, Zoo- planktonParasiteDrifting Mega-Demersal hyperbenthos benthopelagicPlant photoautotrophSolitary BenthosGrazerGregarious Epi-fauna, flora, biota; epipelicSuspension feederColonial Infauna, endopelicFilter feederEncrusting InterstitialDeposit feederInquiline DetrivoreSymbiotic DecomposerMobile (vagile) Chemoautotroph

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’.

Deep-sea dragonfish. Photo: Julian Finn, Museum Victoria Phronima shrimp living in a salp. Photo: H. Bahena Deep sea octopus, Benthoctopus Gulf of Mexico 2700m Photo : I. MacDonald Venus fly-trap. Gulf of Mexico 1500 m Photo: I. MacDonald Zombie worm. Eats bones dead whales. Photo: Y. Fuijjwara, JAMSTEC Burglar alarm jellyfish and hydroid. Photos: JAMSTEC Some cool marine species

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 Image from Serge Andrefouet (IRD New Caledonia) and colleagues Cuba North New Caledonia Bahamas Potential for maps of other shallow-water habitats e.g. rock, sand, kelp, seagrass, mangrove