Meeting Abstract
P1.50 Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30 Constructing a Biogeographic Database for Visualization in GIS AMADOR, M.D.*; RHODES, A.C.; LAVELLE, K.A.; MONTAGNA, P.A.; WOOD, J.S.; Texas A & M University Corpus Christi; Texas A & M University Corpus Christi; Texas A & M University Corpus Christi; Texas A & M University Corpus Christi; Texas A & M University Corpus Christi arhodes2@tamucc.edu
This study was designed to construct a complete list of species occurrences catalogued by depth and geographic location based on historic records of Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. One of the challenges to constructing a biogeographic analysis for any taxa is that online databases often lack complete and/or accurate information, e.g., location, depth, or taxa name. To address this challenge, we constructed a comprehensive database by downloading and correcting online sources. In addition, data from recent research cruises led by US Geological Survey and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute were added to historic records to facilitate biogeographic and biodiversity analyses. Data on tanaidacean species occurrences were extracted from multiple online databases (IOBIS, GBIF, GulfBase, Chess, and U.S. National Museum of Natural History). When geographic coordinates were available, but depths were not provided, depths were calculated from contour maps overlaid in a geographic information system (GIS). After an extensive review of literature on tanaidaceans and their distribution in the Gulf of Mexico, we found discrepancies between the published literature and online databases. These discrepancies were corrected in our database based on the published literature. The new comprehensive database is formatted for GIS, which allows for detailed visualizations of species diversity based on taxonomic levels, depths and coordinates in the northern Gulf of Mexico. As a result of this study, we have created a more complete and accurate database of tanaidacean species occurrences that will be useful to researchers studying crustacean diversity in the Gulf of Mexico.
