Species are presented in the WoRDSS database if they are tagged with the relevant contextual field 'Deepsea' in WoRMS. Database sourcesĪll of the taxonomic information presented is sourced from WoRMS. The criteria for inclusion in the database will be reviewed periodically and we welcome feedback. Species recorded below 500m, but are known to range above 500m, are also included as they may contribute significantly to the ecology of the deep ocean ecosystem and are likely to be encountered in deep-sea samples. The 500m criterion has been chosen as it is a depth at which seasonal variation in physical parameters (e.g temperature and salinity ( Thistle 2003)) as well as the influence of sunlight becomes minimal. The register, therefore, may include species that are not native in the deep sea habitat, but range into it under certain circumstances. Hence the database includes many species which have traditionally been viewed as shallow-water species, but have been occasionally recorded from the deep sea. If a species has been recorded below 500m, it may be included in the database, even if it ranges shallower than this depth. The current criteria for inclusion in the WoRDSS database is a sample depth of greater than 500m, including both pelagic and benthic species. The Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed (GOODS) biogeographic classification highlights the upper bathyal (300-800m) as the shallowest 'deep-sea' region ( UNESCO 2009). More recent schemes such as the Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW) have categorised coastal and shelf areas as extending to 800m depth ( Spalding et al., 2007). Traditional classifications have used the continental shelf break at approximately 200m water depth as the boundary between 'shallow' and 'deep sea' ( Gage & Tyler 1991), with further classifications of the deep sea into bathyal (~200-4000m), abyssal (~4000-6000m) and hadal (6000m+). There is no single definition of 'deep-sea'. We welcome contributions and corrections. The WoRDSS project provides an open-access source of quality taxonomic information and imagery on deep-sea species and at the same time enhances the WoRMS database through the provision of images, new sources and editorship. Through WoRDSS, we are also providing taxonomic references (sources) that will allow researchers and educators easier access to identification literature. A secondary goal is to accumulate high quality specimen images of deep-sea species and to present these on both the website and the iOS app (Deep Sea ID, currently in development) that allows offline-viewing of the complete database and imagery to assist with identifications at sea and in the laboratory. The primary goal of the project is to build a comprehensive database of known deep-sea species and to present this as a thematic species database (TSD) of WoRMS, with all data dynamically linked to WoRMS and their team of taxonomic editors. This site was launched in December 2012 as a project of the International Network for Scientific Investigation of Deep-sea Ecosystems (INDEEP). Contents Cannot Be Purchased Individually.Welcome to the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS), a taxonomic database of deep-sea species based on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
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