Traits for species in WoRMS EMODNET WP2.2 Mark J. Costello Institute of Marine Science, Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, New Zealand

WP2.2 = species attributes information Why? How? What traits (vocabulary) Classification (relationships) Definition (glossary) Implementation Data analysis and publication

Why add traits to WoRMS? Classification is a hypothesis for species relationships Taxonomic Environmental Geographic Ecological etc.. Data analysis needs consistent terminology Databases force standard terminology (fields) Databases may reveal new insights Each new trait (data field) has multiplier effect on potential data analyses

Need for standards Ecology is worse Species names are the common currency and backbone for biodiversity informatics Species names have semantic problems –names can change over time But have taxonomic relationships and rules to minimise confusion Ecology is worse diverse and uncontrolled terminology highly context dependant

User needs Food – fisheries, aquaculture Pests – invasives, others Health – HAB, sharks, toxicity Conservation status BUT a species ‘status’ can change over time and place and so not ‘species’ traits

Kinds of traits Numerical, e.g. body size in mm Continuous, e.g. coastline, polygon Categorical, e.g. predator Note 1 or 2 can = 3 but not the reverse

Relevance of traits Trait Relevance Taxonomic Related species have similar traits so taxonomic relationships predict traits of related species Environment Most studies are confined to a particular environment so this trait allows users to quickly isolate species of interest for their purpose. Depth The most widely available variable to distinguish species habitat. Substratum A key physical factor determining benthic species habitat. Habitat Derived from environment, depth, and substratum. Habit Determines mode of dispersal and ecological role (e.g. habitat forming) in the ecosystem. Diet Influence on abundance of other species. Feeding method Determines its diet and potential prey, and functional role in the ecosystem. Life-stage Most marine species traits change significantly at different life-stages. Body size Related to position in food web, species abundance, metabolic rates, and dispersal.

Trait prioritisation IN OUT Unique to few taxa Temporal distribution Taxonomy Environment (Geography) Life-stage Depth Substratum Body size Diet Feeding method Habitat depth, substratum, environment Unique to few taxa Temporal distribution Seascapes Ecosystems OTHER ATTRIBUTE “status” Conservation Economic

Proposed traits Taxonomic Geography Environment Depth Substratum Habitat Habit Diet Feeding method Life-stage Body size Phylum to Genus Marineregions.org, latitude – longitude Marine, brackish, freshwater, terrestrial Intertidal, subtidal, deep-sea (>500 m), max+min Pelagic, mud, sand, gravel, boulders, bedrock, biological = environment, depth + substratum Sessile, sedentary, mobile, solitary, aggregated, infauna, pelagic Carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, parasite, detrivore, plant, chemoautotroph Suspension, deposit, grazer, predator Adult, juvenile, larva, egg In mm

Other traits to consider Reproduction Fecundity Life-span (of each life-stage) Calcareous skeleton ocean acidification, fossils Guilds e.g. ‘functional groups’ based on body size, habitat or diet; or can these be derived? Should we develop complete classification but only implement priority traits? Do we want ‘classes’ and a hierarchy of traits?

> 40 years daily sea temperature & weather data University of Auckland, north of New Zealand > 40 years daily sea temperature & weather data Variable biological data over time