Download Why traits? - Emodnet Biology

Traits for marine species
Mark Costello
Why traits?

Users may want information on species with a particular
trait

Enrich species’ names with more information

Multiplies number of possible analyses from species
database

Classifications can be viewed as hypotheses of what traits
are important in ecology, evolution, and ecosystems
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What are species’ traits?
Species ‘status’ is
different
Are
1.
2.
Relatively unchanging
attributes of a “species”
Distinct from
“population” traits that
vary within a species
1.
It varies in space and/or time
2.
Whether
 Commercially fished
 Threatened with extinction
 Invasive, introduced
 Cultural importance
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What traits may or may not need

Standardised vocabulary (definitions of
terminology)

Classification?

Minimum redundancy (similar traits duplicated
in parts of classification)?

Top down design

Bottom up development?
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Principles for prioritizing traits
1.
Primary over secondary (i.e. derived from primary)
2.
Numerical and continuous over categorical
3.
Applicable
a)
b)
c)
at species level
across all taxa
at higher taxonomic levels (e.g. class, order)
4.
Availability (in theory) for most species of any taxon
5.
Relevance to users – need demonstration of uses
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What are outside this proposed EMODNET trait
classification?

Secondary traits

E.g. dispersal, bioturbation potential

Population level traits

Distribution

Seascapes
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Species ‘status’

Economic, conservation, pest, introduced
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What already in WoRMS

Taxonomic classification (evolutionary traits)

Environment (marine, brackish, freshwater, terrestrial)

Geography (place name gazetteer, country sea area, etc.)

Status as introduced, invasive, threatened, etc..
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EMODnet
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User groups

In WoRMS now




Harmful alga blooms (HAB)
Deep-sea
Introduced and invasive (in preparation)
Potential macro-ecology research?





body size and taxonomic richness patterns
Invasive species risk assessment
With OBIS – distribution by body size, calcareous skeleton, ..other?
Calcareous skeleton species and ocean acidification of fossil record
Parasite – host richness and distribution patterns
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Traits in BIOTIC: “Biological”
Growth form - 44 categories e.g. Algal gravel, Bivalved, Foliose, Turbinate, Encrusting,
Growth rate (expressed as µm, mm, cm per day/month/year)
Size (max.) - 6 categories from Very small(<1cm) to Large(>50cm)
Environmental position - 14 categories e.g. Epibenthic, Infaunal, Interstitial, Pelagic, Demersal
Habit - 10 categories e.g. Attached, Bed forming, Burrow dwelling, Erect Encrusting
Height (above substratum) – (mm/cm/m)
Flexibility - High (>45°) / Low (10 – 45°) / None (<10°)
Fragility - Fragile, Intermediary, Robust
Mobility/movement - Swimmer, Crawler, Burrower, Drifter, Attached (permanent, temporary)
Dispersal potential (adult) - 7 categories from None, Very limited (<1m)to >10km
Feeding method - 19 categories e.g. Autotroph, Detritivore, Grazer, Predator
Typical food type (descriptive text)
Bioturbator - 4 categories e.g. Diffusive mixing, Conveyor belt transport,
Sociability -Free living, Gregarious, Colonial
Dependency –Independent, Parasitic, Mutualist, Inquilinist, Commensal, Host
Toxicity - (Yes/No)
9 (for another species) - (Yes/No)
Host
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Traits in BIOTIC: “habitat”
Distribution (UK & Global) - ( descriptive text)
Biogeographic range - ( descriptive text)
Migratory - Resident, Passive, Active (Diel, Seasonal)
Depth range (expressed as metres below chart datum)
Substratum preferences – 38 categories, e.g. Bedrock, Boulders, Mud, Gravel, Mixed,
Other
Physiography - 9 categories e.g. Open coast, Strait / sound, Sea loch, Ria / Voe, Estuary
Biological zone – Benthic (15 categories), Pelagic (8 categories)
Wave exposure - 8 categories form Extremely Exposed, to Ultra Sheltered
Tidal strength - Very Strong, Strong, Moderately Strong, Weak, Very Weak (negligible)
Salinity (range) - Full (30-40 psu), Variable (18-40 psu), Reduced (18-30 psu), Low (<18
psu)
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Traits in BIOTIC: “Life history”
Reproductive type- 17 categories e.g. Budding, Fission, Gonochoristic, Hermaphrodite
Regeneration potential – yes/no
Reproductive frequency - 7 categories e.g. Semelparous, Annual episodic, Biannual protracted
Reproductive season- (range of months or seasons)
Reproductive location - As adult, Adult burrow, Brooding, Sediment surface, Water column
Life span (max.) - 8 categories from <1 year, to 100+ years
Generation time 8 categories from <1 year, to 100+ years
Age at maturity - 8 categories from <1 year, to 100+ years
Fecundity – number of eggs
Egg/propagule size – value (µm, mm, cm)
Fertilization type - External, Internal, Self-fertile, None (asexual)
Developmental mechanism – 10 categories e.g. Planktotrophic, Oviparous, Viviparous
Larval/juvenile dispersal potential - 7 categories from None, Very limited (<1m) >10km
Larval settlement period - (range of months or seasons)
Duration of larval stage -<1 day, 1 day, 2-10 days, 11-30 days, 1-2 months, 1-6 months, >6
months
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In FishBase
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
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Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration
Predators
Biology
Age
Mass conversion
Size
Metabolism
Growth
Diseases
Length-weight
Fish sounds
relationship
Length-length
Gill area
Length-frequencies
Otoliths
Morphometrics
Brains
Morphology
Vision
Maturity
Swimming speed
Spawning
Swimming type
Fecundity
Ecotoxicology
Eggs
Ciguatera
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Reproduction
Status
Introductions
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Processing
Genetics
Strains
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Stocks
Recruitment
Abundance
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% species
96
Trait availability in BIOTIC, 685 species
Body size
60-90
None
51-60
Mobility, Sociability, Feeding method, Habit, Fragility, Flexibility
40-50
Developmental mechanism, Regeneration, Reproductive type, Dependency,
Growth form, Substratum, Food Type, Distribution in UK, Depth Range, Global
Distribution, Environmental position, Life Span
30-40
Reproductive Season, Fertilization Type, Reproductive Frequency, Reproductive
Location, Maturity, Migratory, Larval Settling Time, Biological zone, Dispersal
Potential (Adult), Salinity, Physiography
20-30
Fecundity, Dispersal Potential (Larvae), Wave exposure, Bioturbator, Egg Size,
Fecundity, Larval Settlement Period, Tidal strength
10-20
Generation Time (136), Growth Rate (115), Height (96), Biogeography (93)
< 10
Toxic (50), Host (6)
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Trait
Relevance of propsoed high priority traits
Taxonomic
Depth
Related species have similar traits so taxonomic relationships predict traits of
related species
Most studies are confined to a particular environment so this trait allows users to
quickly isolate species of interest for their purpose.
The most widely available variable to distinguish species habitat.
Substratum
A key physical factor determining benthic species habitat.
Habitat
Derived from environment, depth, and substratum.
‘Habit’
Determines mode of dispersal and ecological role (e.g. habitat forming) in the
ecosystem.
Calcareous important for ocean acidification and fossil record.
Gelatinous important due to sampling difficulties, role as predators, and hazard
to humans.
Influence on abundance of other species, determines position in food web.
Environment
Skeleton
Diet
Feeding method Determines its diet and potential prey, and functional role in the ecosystem.
Body size
Related to position in food web, species abundance, metabolic rates, and
dispersal.
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Additional possible traits
Trait
Why important
Metric
Life-span
Indicates population stability over time and
dispersal potential of various life-stages (e.g.
longer planktonic larva life-span)
Days or years
Fecundity
Indicates potential abundance and recovery from
population decline.
Number of eggs per female per
spawning
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10 classes traits proposed as priority for WoRMS
Trait class
Taxonomic
Categories
Phylum to Genus
Environment
Marine, brackish, freshwater, terrestrial
Depth
Substratum
Intertidal, subtidal, deep-sea (>500 m)
Pelagic, benthic5, biological, aerial
Habitat
Combination of environment, depth and
substratum
Numerical
Deepest & shallowest depth
Habit? Mobility? Sessile, sedentary, errant (vagile, mobile)1,
pelagic2, aggregated3, infauna4
Skeleton
Calcareous skeleton, gelatinous
Diet
Carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, parasite,
detrivore, phototrophic, chemoautotroph
Feeding method
Body size
Suspension, deposit, grazer, predator
--
Particle size consumed?
Maximum body length in mm
excluding limbs, spines, setae
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Subclasses of priority traits if needed

Errant: swimming, drifting, crawling, burrowing, flying, gliding, and jet
propulsion.

Pelagic: pleuston, neuston, plankton (drifting), nekton, phyto-,
zooplankton, demersal (= hyperbenthos, benthopelagic).

Aggregated: schooling, swarming, and colonial (fixed together in colony)
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Infauna: burrowing, interstitial.
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Benthic substratum: mud, sand, gravel (pebble, cobble), boulder, bedrock.
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Obligate species association.
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Additional traits to consider
Trait
Comment
Fossil
Should the classification already agreed for WoRMS be included
here?
Body form
Forms 3-D habitat as epifauna or infauna? What spatial or size
scale? Can this be derived from skeleton and habit?
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, viviparous, hermaphroditic, asexual, protogynous,
iteroparous or semelparous, brooding, nesting, parental care
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Questions and discussion?
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