A dataset on trophic modes of aquatic protists

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Protistology
• Ecology

Background:

• Aquatic protists exhibit diverse trophic modes: phototrophy (producers), phagotrophy (consumers), and mixotrophy (mixoplankton).
• Historically, protist communities were simplified into producers and consumers, overlooking mixoplankton.
• Accurate trophic mode assignment is challenging due to taxonomic changes and scattered information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive, machine-readable dataset of aquatic protist trophic modes.
• To link protist taxa to their unique identifiers (AphiaID) within the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
• To facilitate easier access to information on protist feeding strategies for research and monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Compiled data on protist trophic modes from monitoring stations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
• Augmented and validated data using scientific literature and expert knowledge, particularly for mixoplankton.
• Submitted the dataset to WoRMS, linking taxa to their AphiaIDs and trophic modes.

Main Results:

• Developed a dataset connecting aquatic protist taxa (primarily marine) to their AphiaIDs and trophic modes.
• The dataset integrates data from routine monitoring with expert-verified information.
• Provides a unified resource for understanding protist ecological roles.

Conclusions:

• This dataset represents the first accessible compilation of aquatic protist trophic modes.
• It enhances the usability of ecological data by standardizing trophic information.
• Facilitates future research on aquatic food webs and ecosystem functions.