 | ||
 |
|
|
Tel: 215-299-1000 Email: webmaster@acnatsci.org
The primary objective of this project is to provide a database of the estimated 35,000 [based on the data accumulated during this project this estimate has been revised downwards to 25,000-26,000] named species of mollusks in the Indo-West Pacific region, with summary data on their distribution and ecology. Another objective is to combine Indo-Pacific data with existing databases for Western Atlantic and Europe marine mollusk species and for higher taxa of mollusks to form the basis of a global database of Mollusca. This database will provide a uniform framework for linking specimen records from museum collections and data from fisheries to show spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence and abundance.
More than 200,000 Indo-Pacific specimen records from the ANSP, AMS and CAS collections will be linked as an in-kind contribution. We envision that over the next ten years, the database will grow to include all marine mollusk species, with illustrations and descriptions, with links to most major mollusk collections worldwide. Available via the Internet, this database will provide on-demand information about any species in question, as well as lists of species restricted by geography, taxonomy, bathymetry or ecology. As such it will be an invaluable tool for scientists, environmental managers, and other sector researchers as well as students, amateur biologists and naturalists.
Our primary objective is to produce a literature-based biotic database of the living molluscan species of the Indo-Pacific. The database will provide not only a checklist of current species names but will also provide information on classification, synonyms, bibliographic details (including citations of published illustrations and revisions), type localities, location of type specimens, and summaries of distribution, biology and ecology. A secondary objective is to integrate existing species databases for Western Atlantic and European marine mollusks to produce the starting point for a global database for Mollusca. A third objective is to link in Indo-Pacific specimen records from the ANSP, AMS and CAS collections. These objectives can be divided into four primary tasks.
1. Project planning and coordination. Several meetings are planning between the principals at each institution. At the commencement of the project we will meet at ANSP for training in BioLink and to ensure that everyone agrees to and understands all of the conventions and protocols for data entry and management. A WWW based task manager will be produced at ANSP that will allow each group to see the work assignments of others, thereby avoiding duplication of effort. The project database will be maintained on the web and will be accessible to, and updated at weekly by, participants with password access.
2. Database integration. The first step is to convert existing species database to the BioLink platform that will be used by the project. This will be done at primarily at ANSP, by PJM. The database at AMS will not need conversion, since the Platypus software it which it is currently maintained will be absorbed as a module in BioLink. The first priority for conversion is therefore the database of higher taxa, which will be used by everyone working on the project. Next is the opisthobranch database at CAS. Malacolog 2.0 and CLEMAM will be done last, since the data on Atlantic they contain has little overlap with Indo-Pacific. Once species lists for the Indo-Pacific are relatively complete, it will be possible to link in specimen records from AMS, ANSP and CAS. This is scheduled for the beginning of the second year of the project.
3. Data capture from secondary literature. Faunal literature will be allocated on a regional basis. AMS will cover Australia, the Eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, continuing the ABRS funded project on mollusks of the Australasian region. ANSP will cover southern and eastern Africa, the Red Sea through the Bay of Bengal, and oceanic islands and basins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These divisions are consistent with the strengths of the collections. Taxon based literature will be assigned at the level of family or superfamily. CAS will handle both faunal and taxonomic works focused mainly on opisthobranch gastropods, reflecting the strength of the collection and the research interests of TMG.
4.Data capture from primary literature. Data for names of supraspecific taxa will entered at MNHN, being consistent with the research interests of PB. Species-group names will be handled by ANSP, AMS and CAS, with tasks assigned by journal, monograph, chronology, or taxon, as appropriate for greatest efficiency.
Tasks 3 and 4 are not absolute divisions, since a given publication might have information relevant to two or more areas. Whichever institution enters data from a publication will capture all relevant information from it. Therefore, to avoid duplication of effort, all partners will need to have access to up-to-date information in the project database, as specified under task 1.
|
| ||
|
|
|