| Abstract | Scientific exploration of marine cave environments and anchialine ecosystems over recent decades has led to outstanding discoveries of novel taxa, increasing our knowledge of biodiversity. However, biological research on underwater caves has taken place only in a few areas of the world and relevant information remains fragmented in isolated publications and databases. This fragmentation makes assessing the conservation status of marine cave species especially problematic, and this issue should be addressed urgently given the stresses resulting from planned and rampant development in the coastal zone worldwide. The goal of the World Register of marine Cave Species (WoRCS) initiative is to create a comprehensive taxonomic and ecological database of known species from marine caves and anchialine systems worldwide and to present this as a Thematic Species Database (TSD) of the World Register of marine Species (WoRMS). WoRCS will incorporate ecological data (e.g., type of environment, salinity regimes, and cave zone) as well as geographical information on the distribution of species in cave and anchialine environments. Biodiversity data will be progressively assembled from individual database sources at regional, national or local levels, as well as from literature sources (estimate: >20,000 existing records of cave-dwelling species scattered in several databases). Information will be organized in the WoRCS database following a standard glossary based on existing terminology. Cave-related information will be managed by the WoRCS thematic editors with all data dynamically linked to WoRMS and its team of taxonomic editors. In order to mobilize data into global biogeographic databases, a Gazetteer of the Marine and Anchialine Caves of the World will be established. The presence records of species could be eventually georeferenced for submission to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and constitute an important dataset for biogeographical and climate change studies on marine caves and anchialine systems. |
| Authors | Gerovasileiou V., Martinez A., Alvarez F., Boxshall G., Humphreys W. F., Jaume D., Becking L. E., Muricy G., Van Hengstum P. J., Dekeyzer S., Decock W., Vanhoorne B., Vandepitte L., Bailly N., Iliffe T. M. |
| Text | 386477 2016 10.3897/rio.2.e10451 Marine caves; Anchialine ecosystems; Biodiversity; Global species databases; Biodiversity management World Register of marine Cave Species WoRCS a new thematic species database for marine and anchialine cave biodiversity Gerovasileiou V., Martinez A., Alvarez F., Boxshall G., Humphreys W. F., Jaume D., Becking L. E., Muricy G., Van Hengstum P. J., Dekeyzer S., Decock W., Vanhoorne B., Vandepitte L., Bailly N., Iliffe T. M. Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Greece; CNR ISE, Pallanza Verbania ; Coleccion Nacional de Crustaceos, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico ; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom ; Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Australia ; IMEDEA CSIC UIB , Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain ; Marine Animal Ecology, Animal Science Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands ; Departamento de Invertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ; Department of Marine Science, Texas A M University at Galveston, Galveston, United States of America Flanders Marine Institute/Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee VLIZ , Oostende, Belgium Scientific exploration of marine cave environments and anchialine ecosystems over recent decades has led to outstanding discoveries of novel taxa, increasing our knowledge of biodiversity. However, biological research on underwater caves has taken place only in a few areas of the world and relevant information remains fragmented in isolated publications and databases. This fragmentation makes assessing the conservation status of marine cave species especially problematic, and this issue should be addressed urgently given the stresses resulting from planned and rampant development in the coastal zone worldwide. The goal of the World Register of marine Cave Species WoRCS initiative is to create a comprehensive taxonomic and ecological database of known species from marine caves and anchialine systems worldwide and to present this as a Thematic Species Database TSD of the World Register of marine Species WoRMS . WoRCS will incorporate ecological data e.g., type of environment, salinity regimes, and cave zone as well as geographical information on the distribution of species in cave and anchialine environments. Biodiversity data will be progressively assembled from individual database sources at regional, national or local levels, as well as from literature sources estimate >20,000 existing records of cave dwelling species scattered in several databases . Information will be organized in the WoRCS database following a standard glossary based on existing terminology. Cave related information will be managed by the WoRCS thematic editors with all data dynamically linked to WoRMS and its team of taxonomic editors. In order to mobilize data into global biogeographic databases, a Gazetteer of the Marine and Anchialine Caves of the World will be established. The presence records of species could be eventually georeferenced for submission to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System OBIS and constitute an important dataset for biogeographical and climate change studies on marine caves and anchialine systems. 2 Published version Articolo 2016_A0_103.pdf Articolo in rivista Pensoft Publishers 2367 7163 Research Ideas and Outcomes Research Ideas and Outcomes Research Ideas and Outcomes Res. Ideas Outcomes alejandro.martinezgarcia MARTINEZ GARCIA ALEJANDRO |
