Digging for historical data on the occurrence of benthic macrofaunal species in the southeastern Mediterranean

Evangelia Avramidou,Stamatina Nikolopoulou,Nicolas Bailly,Panagiotis Dimitriou,Irini Tsikopoulou,Aglaia Legaki

doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e10071

Abstract

BackgroundThe benthic macrofaunal biodiversity of the southeastern Mediterranean is considerably understudied compared to other Mediterranean regions. Monitoring biodiversity in this area is crucial as this region is particularly susceptible to biological invasions and temperature alteration. Historical biodiversity data could provide a useful baseline for monitoring potential changes and provide informarion to support a better understanding of the possible effects of anthropogenic activities on marine benthic communities.New informationIn this study, performed under the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure, we present historical benthic occurrence data obtained from the sampling expedition carried out in 1933 by Adolf Steuer in the coastal area around Alexandria, Egypt, eastern Mediterranean. The occurrences were geo-referenced to more than 170 stations, mostly located in the area of Alexandria, and the nearby coasts and lakes. All records were digitized and species names were cross-checked and taxonomically updated using the World Register of Marine Species. The outcome clearly shows that such initiatives can reveal an unexpected amount of highly valuable biodiversity information for “data-poor” regions.

Highlights

At the beginning of the 20th century, the importance of recording marine biodiversity was already recognized
In this study, performed under the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure, we present historical benthic occurrence data obtained from the sampling expedition carried out in 1933 by Adolf Steuer in the coastal area around Alexandria, Egypt, eastern Mediterranean
We present occurrence data which were digitized from 14 publications on the Egypt Expedition under the general report "The fishery grounds near Alexandria" made by Adolf Steuer and his colleagues and published between 1935-1940

Summary

Background

The benthic macrofaunal biodiversity of the southeastern Mediterranean is considerably understudied compared to other Mediterranean regions. Monitoring biodiversity in this area is crucial as this region is susceptible to biological invasions and temperature alteration. Historical biodiversity data could provide a useful baseline for monitoring potential changes and provide informarion to support a better understanding of the possible effects of anthropogenic activities on marine benthic communities. In this study, performed under the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure, we present historical benthic occurrence data obtained from the sampling expedition carried out in 1933 by Adolf Steuer in the coastal area around Alexandria, Egypt, eastern Mediterranean. Macrofauna, Egypt expedition, eastern Mediterranean, historical dataset, data digitization, data rescue

Introduction

Helfer

Harant

Sampling methods

Findings

Conclusions