Corresponding authors: Loïc N. Michel (
Academic editor: Pavel Stoev
The Neptune grass,
Here, we provide in-depth metadata about AxIOM, a sample-based dataset published on the GBIF portal. AxIOM is based on an extensive and spatially hierarchized sampling design with multiple years, seasons, day periods, and methods. Samples were taken along the coasts of Calvi Bay (Corsica, France) and of the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy). In total, AxIOM contains 187 samples documenting occurrence (1775 records) and abundance (10720 specimens) of amphipod crustaceans belonging to 72 species spanning 29 families. The dataset is available at
The Neptune grass,
In
AxIOM is a sample-based dataset (n = 187 samples) documenting occurrences of amphipod crustaceans associated to
Multidisciplinary study of trophic diversity and functional role of amphipod crustaceans associated to
Loïc N. Michel, Nicolas Sturaro and Gilles Lepoint
The AxIOM dataset was generated during two doctoral research programmes that took place at University of Liège, Belgium. The first one focused on ecology of amphipod crustaceans from
Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS) research fellow grant nr. FC74734; Belgian Fund for Research in Industry and Agriculture (FRIA) doctoral grant.
AxIOM contains 187 sampling events, spanning 3 consecutive years. Sampling took place in two regions: Corsica (Calvi Bay) and Sardinia (Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, TMPA). Samples were taken during different periods of the year (November, March, June, July, August) to acknowledge seasonal variation of communities (
Most samples were taken following a nested hierarchical sampling design that focused on variability at 4 spatial scales, ranging from 1 to 1000 metres. In each sampling region (Corsica and Sardinia), zones separated by > 1000 m were chosen. In each zone, 2 sites (separated by ~ 100 m) were picked. Inside each site, 2 or 4 sectors (separated by ~10 m) were randomly selected within each site. Each sector was delimited by a permanent frame circumscribing an area of 9 m2. Depending on the method used, sampling events either covered a full sector or were taken randomly inside a sector and separated by ~1 m were collected. Details of the sampling design are given in
All sampling was performed by SCUBA diving at depths ranging from 10.4 to 15 metres. Detailed methodology for the hand-towed net (labelled "Net" in the "samplingProtocol" column of the "event.txt" file of the dataset), the air-lift ("Airlift") and the first type of light traps ("Trap1") can be found in
Litter collection ("Litter") consisted in hand-picking of litter fragments. A 25 x 40 cm quadrate was randomly thrown in the meadow, to estimate sampling area, and all litter present among this meadow patch was handpicked by fistfuls, and quickly placed in a container. By doing so, vagile organisms associated to litter fragments were also collected. This procedure was repeated until a standardized container of 2 litres was filled.
The second type of light traps ("Trap2", Fig.
Sampling protocols were standardized to avoid biases. Amphipods were and identified using primarily the keys of the Mediterranean amphipod fauna of
After collection, all samples were sieved on 400 µm nylon mesh to eliminate sediment and fine particulate organic matter. They were subsequently fixed for >24 hours in a formaldehyde solution (4% in 0.22 µm-filtered seawater). Samples were then sorted to isolate amphipods and transfer them to a preservation solution consisting of 70% ethanol in distilled water to which 1% glycerine was added to prevent evaporation. After identification, specimens were stored in this preservation solution in airtight vials.
AxIOM contains samples taken in
Calvi Bay lies in the Ligurian Sea (western Mediterranean), on the north-western coast of Corsica (France;
In Calvi Bay,
The Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (TMPA) lies in the Thyrrenian Sea (western Mediterranean), on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy;
Zone A (5.29 km2) is an integral reserve and no-take/no-access zones. Access of zone A is restricted to scientists, reserve staff and police authorities. Zone B (31.13 km2) is a partial reserve where access is permitted, but only professional fishermen inhabiting the nearby coastal villages are allowed to fish. Zone C (117.15 km2) is a general reserve where access as well as professional and recreational fishing are allowed under restricted conditions defined by the MPA management consortium.
In TMPA, temperature of water is nearly the same as Calvi Bay, with variation between 14°C and 26°C. Salinity is around 38 and is constant the whole year.
40.859253 and 42.579722 Latitude; 8.725000 and 9.777583 Longitude.
This dataset comprises 72 amphipod species (including 2 subspecies of
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AxIOM
ULGOceano001
Ethanol 70% in distilled water + 1% glycerin
Other
Creative Commons CC BY
AxIOM: Amphipod crustaceans from insular
1
AxIOM: Amphipod crustaceans from insular
Darwin Core
The dataset is composed of two files. The first one is named "event.txt". It gathers data about sampling events (n=187). "Event.txt" has 282 rows and 18 columns. The second file is named "occurrence.txt". It contains occurrence records (n=1775) of amphipod specimens. "Occurrence.txt" has 1776 rows and 13 columns. For more information about Darwin Core terms, please refer to
Column label | Column description |
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event.txt:eventID | Identification code of the sampling event (primary key). |
event.txt:parentEventID | Identification code of broader, parent events that group several sampling events. To reflect the nested hierarchical sampling design (cf. "Sampling description" section of this manuscript), parent events ID were built using up to five groups of character linked, in order, to the sampling region (Corsica or Sardinia), zone, site, sector, and sampling year. |
event.txt:samplingProtocol | Name of the method used to obtain the sample (cf. "Sampling description" section of this manuscript). |
event.txt:sampleSizeValue | Numerical value of the sampling area. |
event.txt:sampleSizeUnit | Unit used to express the sampling area (square meters). |
event.txt:samplingEffort | Brief description of the amount of effort expended to obtain the sample. |
event.txt:eventDate | Sampling event date. Light trap samples are taken over a full night, and therefore have two consecutive values. Precise dates were not recorded for the air-lift samples, and a date range spanning the whole sampling campaign is given instead. |
event.txt:eventTime | Time interval in which the sample was taken. |
event.txt:eventRemarks | For sampling events: the period of the day in which the sample was taken (day or night). For parent events: the concerned level of the nested hierarchical sampling design (cf. "Sampling description" section of this manuscript). |
event.txt:waterBody | Name of the marine area in which the sample was taken. |
event.txt:island | Name of the island in which the sample was taken. |
event.txt:countryCode | ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 code of the country in which the sample was taken. |
event.txt:minimumDepthInMeters | Minimum sampling depth, in meters. |
event.txt:maximumDepthInMeters | Maximum sampling depth, in meters. |
event.txt:decimalLatitude | Geographic latitude, in decimal degrees. |
event.txt:decimalLongitude | Geographic longitude, in decimal degrees. |
event.txt:geodeticDatum | Geodetic datum on which the geographic coordinates given in "decimalLatitude" and "decimalLongitude" are based (WGS84). |
occurence.txt:basisOfRecord | Nature of the occurrence record (preserved specimen) |
occurence.txt:occurrenceID | Globally unique and persistent identification number of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:recordNumber | Identification number given to the occurrence at the time of record |
occurence.txt:individualCount | Number of sampled specimen(s) |
occurence.txt:sex | Sex of sampled specimen(s) |
occurence.txt:lifeStage | Life stage of sampled specimen(s) |
occurence.txt:eventID | Identification code of the sampling event (foreign key). |
occurence.txt:scientificName | Binomial scientific name of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:family | Family of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:genus | Genus of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:specificEpithet | Species epithet of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:infraspecificEpithet | occurence.txt:Subspecies epithet of the occurrence |
occurence.txt:taxonRank | Lowest taxonomical level to which the specimen(s) could be identified |
Authors warmly thank Dimitri Brosens and Peter Desmet (Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek - INBO) for their help during preparation of this paper of the associated dataset and Renzo Biondo (Laboratory of Oceanology, ULg) for his technical assistance in the conception and building of sampling gear. They are also grateful to the staff of the STARESO Research station and to Augusto Navone, Pieraugusto Panzalis and Salvatore Vitale (Consorzio di Gestione Area Marina Protetta Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo, Olbia, Italy) for their hospitality and help during the fieldwork. At the time of sampling, LNM and NS were respectively supported by a Belgian Funds for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS) research fellow grant and a Belgian Fund for Research in Industry and Agriculture (FRIA) grant. GL is a F.R.S.-FNRS research associate. This is MARE publication nr. 335.
LNM, GL & NS conceived the sampling design and performed the sampling. LNM & NS performed identification of specimens under supervision of GL. AH and LNM prepared, formatted, mapped and published the dataset. LNM, NS, AH & GL wrote the paper. LNM & NS contributed equally to the manuscript and share first authorship.
Schematic representation of the second type of light traps used in this study. All measurements are expressed in centimetres. A: bottom container, B: top container, C: diving emergency light stick, D: vertical slits, E: bottleneck, F: bottom, G: