A Dataset of Marine Macroinvertebrate Diversity from Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe

Abstract

Marine macroinvertebrate communities play a key role in ecosystem functioning by regulating flows of energy and materials and providing numerous ecosystem services. In Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe marine macroinvertebrates are important for the livelihood and food security of local populations. We compiled a dataset on marine invertebrates from Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe through an extensive data search of digital platforms, scientific literature, and natural history collections (NHC). This dataset encompasses data from 1816 to 2023 and comprises 20,122 records, representing 617 families, 1552 genera, 2137 species, providing species occurrence in mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal and offshore habitats. The dataset has a Darwin Core standard format and has been fully released in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). It is accessible through the GBIF portal under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. The data are standardized and validated with tools such as WoRMS, GEOLocate, and Google Maps. Therefore, they can be readily used for further studies on species richness, distribution, and functional traits. Overall, this dataset contributes baseline information on marine biodiversity for future research.

Linking ecosystem pressures and marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in mangroves and seagrasses

“…The quantification of MMI regulation and maintenance ES was based on the analysis of an MMI data set constructed with data from MB. This data set was ex trac ted from a larger MMI data set from Mozambique (Bento et al 2023) which aimed to list any species occurrences in MB recorded through time, either for museum collections or other sampling strategies. Data sources included biodiversity repositories such as GBIF, museum collections, and scientific literature.…”