The seafloor is home to a rich and diverse array of life forms, from microscopic bacteria to giant sponges and corals.
These organisms play important roles in the functioning and health of marine ecosystems, as well as providing valuable resources and services for human society.
However, studying and monitoring the seafloor is challenging, due to its vastness, depth, and remoteness.
As a result, our knowledge of seafloor life is limited and fragmented, making it difficult to assess its status, trends, and threats.
To address this gap, a team of international researchers has proposed a set of best practices for collecting, integrating, and analyzing data on seafloor invertebrates, which are animals without backbones that constitute a major component of seafloor biodiversity.
The best practices aim to standardize the information that researchers and ocean industry contractors collect about seafloor invertebrates, using various methods and tools, such as cameras, nets, traps, and sensors.
The standardized data can then be used to create more comprehensive and comparable assessments of seafloor life across different regions and scales.
Why Seafloor Invertebrates Matter
IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images
Seafloor invertebrates are a diverse group of animals that range from microscopic worms and crustaceans to large sponges and corals.
They occur across 71% of Earth's surface, from shallow coastal waters to deep-sea trenches, as per Phys.org.
They perform various ecological functions, such as filtering water, recycling nutrients, stabilizing sediments, providing habitat and food for other organisms, and regulating biogeochemical cycles.
Seafloor invertebrates are also important for human society, as they provide various goods and services, such as food, medicine, biotechnology, tourism, and cultural values.
Moreover, seafloor invertebrates are indicators of environmental change, as they respond to various stressors, such as climate change, pollution, fishing, and mining.
However, these creatures are also vulnerable to these stressors, which can affect their abundance, distribution, diversity, and function.
Therefore, it is essential to monitor and understand the status and trends of seafloor invertebrates and their habitats, to inform conservation and management actions that can protect and sustain them.
How to Collect and Analyze Data on Seafloor Invertebrates
The best practices proposed by the researchers cover four main aspects of data collection and analysis on seafloor invertebrates: sampling design, data processing, quality control, and data sharing.
These aspects are briefly described below:
Sampling design
This involves planning how to select the sampling sites, methods, and tools that are appropriate for the research objectives and questions.
For example, researchers should consider the spatial scale (local or regional), temporal scale (seasonal or long-term), depth range (shallow or deep), habitat type (soft or hard), organism size (microscopic or macroscopic), and taxonomic level (species or community) of interest.
Researchers should also consider the advantages and limitations of different sampling methods (such as cameras or nets) and tools (such as sensors or traps) that can capture different aspects of seafloor invertebrate diversity and abundance.
Data processing
This involves transforming the raw data collected from the field into standardized formats that can be used for analysis.
For example, researchers should convert images into counts or biomass estimates of organisms; sort specimens into taxonomic groups; measure individual body sizes; extract DNA or other molecular markers; calibrate sensors or traps; georeference data using GPS or other methods; apply metadata standards such as Darwin Core; and store data in databases or repositories.
Quality control
This involves checking the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of the data before analysis.
For example, researchers should verify the identification of organisms using taxonomic keys or experts; validate the measurements of body sizes using reference materials or scales; cross-check the data from different sources or methods; detect and correct errors or outliers; fill gaps or missing values; document uncertainties or biases; and report any deviations from protocols or standards.
Data sharing
This involves making the data available and accessible to other researchers and stakeholders for further use and reuse.
For example, researchers should publish their data in peer-reviewed journals or reports; deposit their data in public or institutional repositories or platforms; provide metadata and documentation that describe the data and methods; use common vocabularies and formats that facilitate data integration and interoperability; adhere to data policies and licenses that ensure data quality, security, and ethics; and engage with data users and providers to foster collaboration and feedback.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Best Practices for Seafloor Invertebrate Data
Using best practices for seafloor invertebrate data has several benefits for both the scientific community and society at large.
Some of these benefits are:
Advancing scientific knowledge
By collecting and analyzing standardized data on seafloor invertebrates, researchers can improve their understanding of the patterns, processes, and functions of seafloor life.
They can also test hypotheses, develop models, identify gaps, generate new questions, and contribute to the development of theories and frameworks.
Supporting decision-making
By providing reliable and relevant data on seafloor invertebrates, researchers can inform conservation and management actions that can protect and sustain seafloor life.
They can also provide evidence-based advice, recommendations, indicators, assessments, scenarios, forecasts, and solutions for various stakeholders, such as policymakers, resource managers, industry operators, NGOs, educators, media, and the public.
Enhancing collaboration
By sharing and integrating data on seafloor invertebrates, researchers can foster collaboration among different disciplines, sectors, institutions, regions, and countries.
They can also leverage existing resources, networks, platforms, initiatives, and programs that support seafloor observation and research.
Promoting innovation
By using new methods and tools for collecting and analyzing data on seafloor invertebrates, researchers can stimulate innovation in science and technology.
They can also create new opportunities for education, training, capacity-building, outreach, engagement, communication, and citizen science.
