IMIS - Marine Research Groups

Occurrence data south of 45°S latitude have been mined from various sources together with information regarding the taxonomy, the sampling source and sampling sites when available. Records from 1872 to 2016 have been thoroughly checked to ensure the quality of a dataset which reaches a total of 13,840 occurrences from 4580 unique sampling events. Information regarding the reproductive strategy (brooders vs. broadcasters) of 63 species is also made available. This dataset represents the most exhaustive occurrence database on Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic asteroids.
Geographic coverage: This study focuses on the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic regions located at latitudes south of 45°S. The Southern Ocean is a vast region characterised by the paucity of its scientific data and available collections are the compilation of several historical campaigns.
Taxonomic coverage: All the specimens included in this dataset belong to the class Asteroidea (Echinodermata) and were identified at the species level.
Sampling methods: The compilation of occurrence data of asteroid species over the extent of the Southern Ocean was realised by gathering data available from various biodiversity information systems (OBIS, GBIF, biodiversity.aq, PANGAEA https://www.pangaea.de/) as well as published literature, including original manuscripts, data papers and cruise reports. Compiled occurrences were complemented with data from personal communications of unpublished works. Because of difficulties to access the Southern Ocean region, sampling effort is uneven and mainly focused on coastal areas. Sampling gears and objectives are contrasted between the different campaigns, occurring from 1872 with the HMS Challenger to 2016 with the JR15005 expedition.
Quality control: Data are available at species level. Identification and taxonomy were thoroughly checked using the Taxon Match Tool implemented in the World Register of Marine Species, to delete all potential discrepancies and update the taxonomy determination. All replicates originating from overlapping origins as well as errors regarding the georeferencing, species synonymy or misspelling were removed.