Biogeoinformatics of Hexacorallia (Corals, Sea Anemones, and Their Allies): Interfacing Geospatial, Taxonomic, and Environmental Data for a Group of Marine Invertebrates

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

As part of the Census of Marine Life, we will create a taxonomic database to the Hexacorallia (phylum Cnidaria) that adds to the inventory of sea anemones compiled by Fautin (biocomplexity.nhm.ukans.edu/anemones/images/ Version.html), all species of orders Ceriantharia (tube anemones; by Molodtsova), Scleractinia ("stony" or "true" corals; by Cairns and Veron), and Zoantharia (zoanthids; by Ryland). Specimen?based, it will contain three-dimensional distribution data (including geospatial precision of each record) and bibliographic reference to description of each species. In addition to current features, an application by Ardelean will permit retrieval of data by all synonyms of a species, flagging taxonomic and nomenclatural problems. Interacting with this database will be physicochemical and ecological databases important to marine biogeography. The core databases will be those assembled and linked as part of the LJNEP/GEF?funded program within the LOICZ (IGBP) Typology effort (www.nioz.ni/loicz). We will develop and adapt tools to allow interactive analyses of the biological and environmental data, including by visualization on map displays. This project will: link across spatial scales; greatly augment the minimal biogeographic data available for most benthic marine invertebrates; permit formulation and testing of biogeography and biodiversity models; and support forecasting and hindcasting of distribution changes due to environmental change.