An integrated individual-level trait-based phytoplankton dataset from transitional waters

Area of Science:

• Marine Ecology
• Phytoplankton Ecology
• Trait-Based Ecology

Background:

• Functional trait-based approaches are increasingly vital in phytoplankton ecology.
• Morpho-functional traits exhibit variation within and between populations/species, influencing fitness and interactions.
• Understanding trait variation is key to predicting phytoplankton dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate six harmonized phytoplankton morpho-functional trait datasets.
• To provide fine-grained, individual-level data across a large biogeographical area.
• To make these FAIR datasets openly available for ecological research.

Main Methods:

• Integration of six phytoplankton morpho-functional trait datasets.
• Data characterized by fine grain, individual-level records.
• Data harmonized using Darwin Core standards and semantic annotations.

Main Results:

• An integrated dataset of 127,311 individual phytoplankton records.
• Data covers five biogeographical areas: Atlantic, Pacific, Indo-Pacific, and Mediterranean transitional waters.
• Six FAIR datasets are openly available on the LifeWatch Italy data portal.

Conclusions:

• The integrated dataset supports morpho-functional analyses of phytoplankton guilds.
• Facilitates hypothesis testing on trait variation at multiple scales (local to global).
• Promotes open science and collaborative research in phytoplankton ecology.