Distribution records of Amphipoda based on the collection stored at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA)

Study Extent

This dataset provides occurrence information for Amphipoda specimens spanning 25 years of scientific research and dating back to 1995. The diversity in the scientific goals proposed by this plethora of projects is reflected by the difference in the geographic extent of the areas investigated during each expedition. In fact, most of the occurrences reported in this dataset originate from samples acquired in the Terra Nova Bay area (between the Drygalski Ice Tongue and Cape Washington), close to “Mario Zucchelli” station where small boats and zodiacs could be deployed and where most of the Italian Scientific Polar Expeditions reported here had their geographic focus. A reduced number of occurrences originates from projects focusing on a larger geographic area of the Ross Sea, in the context of a few expeditions, which took place by adopting a larger vessel, the R/V “Italica”. In the Ross Sea, most of the sampling stations are located along the coastline of the Victoria Land, reaching as far north as Cape Adare, while others reach the easternmost area of the Ross sea. On the Antarctic Peninsula, most of the sampling stations are located close to the Bransfield Strait, and only one located near the Drake passage.

Sampling

The variety in the scientific goals between these projects, not exclusively focusing on biology or ecology, and spanning an overall temporal range of 25 years, does not allow to provide a quantitative dataset, but rather an occurrence resource for Antarctic Amphipoda, still reporting basic metadata such as geographic coordinates, depth and adopted sampling methodology. For this reason, the sampling methodology used during the execution of each different program is not always reported in detail, but only with a general definition and, eventually, with comments describing the main characteristics. Moreover, many occurrences originate from samples acquired using methodologies not commonly used to sample planktonic or benthonic arthropods (e.g. gill nets, trammel nets), and obtained as by-catch, whereas others were acquired using recently developed (or adopted), and still not commonly used devices and sampling methodologies (e.g. desalination plant’s filters, Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures). For these occurrences, a link to a publication describing the adopted methodology is provided in the dataset.

Quality Control

All records were validated. Coordinates were plotted on map to verify the actual geographical location corresponds to its locality. All scientific names were checked for typo and matched to the species information backbone of Worlds Register of Marine Species (http://marinespecies.org/) and LSID were assigned to each taxa as scientificNameID. Event dates are compliant to ISO 8601 standard.

Method steps

1. As the dataset is composed of occurrences originating from a variety of expeditions and projects, the treatment and steps adopted to process each sample may differ depending on the expedition, the project and the personnel involved. However, in most of the cases, samples were usually sorted in situ and directly stored in formalin or absolute ethanol, to be identified later on by other researchers after the samples were donated to the MNA. The samples are now stored in absolute ethanol, dried or at -20°C.
2. Most of the records were identified by one researcher (AJ), using original descriptions and taxonomic keys. The identification was often supported by taking pictures at the binocular and combining stack images of the analyzed specimens. The identification of many specimens, corresponding to more than 25% of the entire dataset, was aided by the application of DNA barcoding analyses, including the amplification and sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) region, in a collaboration with the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB) and uploaded to the Barcode Of Life Data System (BOLD System). The results obtained in this context will be the subject of another publication.

N/A

1. Ischyroceridae
   rank: family
2. Arthropoda
   rank: phylum
3. Caprellidae
   rank: family
4. Malacostraca
   rank: class
5. Vicmusiidae
   rank: family
6. Lepidepecreellidae
   rank: family
7. Amphipoda
   rank: order
8. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
9. Iphimediidae
   rank: family
10. Leucothoidae
    rank: family
11. Liljeborgiidae
    rank: family

The geographic extent of the dataset includes a large portion of the Ross Sea and different sampling stations located around the South Shetland Islands on the Antarctic Peninsula.