• RBINS metadata catalog
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[UNDER EMBARGO] 25 years of observations on non-indigenous Caprella species on navigation buoys.

The global expansion of marine infrastructure, or ‘ocean sprawl’—creates extensive new artificial habitat for hard substrate-associated species. Structures such as offshore energy installations, aquaculture systems, and navigation buoys support biofouling communities of native, introduced, and range-expanding species. Caprellid amphipods are typical members of these communities and can reach high densities. Using a unique 25-year dataset (1998–2023) from the Belgian part of the North Sea, we documented occurrence patterns of four Caprella species: the native C. linearis, the introduced C. mutica and the range-expanding C. equilibra and C. penantis. This long-term dataset reveals dynamic shifts in species dominance, co-occurrence, and spatial range, highlighting how introduced and range-expanding species successively establish and interact in biofouling communities in an increasingly warmer, busier, and more cosmopolitan ocean.

Simple

Date (Creation)
2025-07-16T10:08:49Z
Date (Revision)
2025-07-16T11:31:46Z
Date (Publication)
2026-01-27T16:32:04.216Z
Date (Creation)
2016-05-19
Unique resource identifier
https://doi.org/10.24417/bmdc.be:dataset:2980
Identifier
bmdc.be:dataset:2980

Belgian Marine Data Centre

Publisher
  Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
Vautierstraat 29 , Brussels , 1000 , Belgium Belgium Belgique België Belgien
https://www.naturalsciences.be
Custodian
  Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Belgian Marine Data Centre (BMDC)
Vautierstraat 29 , Brussels , 1000 , Belgium Belgium Belgique België Belgien
https://www.bmdc.be
Owner
  Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
Vautierstraat 29 , Brussels , 1000 , Belgium Belgium Belgique België Belgien
https://www.naturalsciences.be
Theme
  • fouling fauna

GEMET - Concepts, version 4.2.3
  • animal ecology
  • marine ecology
Marine Regions
  • Belgian part of the North Sea
GEMET - Concepts, version 4.2.1
  • marine monitoring
  • biological monitoring
  • environmental monitoring
Worms
  • Caprella equilibra Say
  • Caprella mutica Schurin
  • Caprella linearis
  • Caprella penantis Leach
Use constraints
Other restrictions
Other constraints
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Access constraints
Other restrictions
Other constraints

No limitations on public access.

Use limitation

No conditions apply to use.

Classification
Unclassified
Spatial representation type
Text, table
Metadata language
English
Topic category
  • Biota
N
S
E
W
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gml32:beginPosition
1998-01-27
gml32:endPosition
2023-12-18
Reference system identifier
EPSG / http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/4258
OnLine resource
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) ( DOI )
Hierarchy level
Dataset
Statement

Between 1998 and 2023, 320 navigation buoys were sampled across the Belgian part of the North Sea. Each buoy underwent visual inspection onshore to assess biofouling coverage and locate suitable sampling areas. Fouling communities, including mussels, were then scraped and preserved in 6% formaldehyde buffered with seawater. In the laboratory, Caprella species were identified to species level using standard keys. Metadata (buoy ID, geographic coordinates, sampling date, and species presence/absence) were recorded and compiled into standardised Excel files. Quality control included checks for completeness, consistency, and removal of duplicates. Spatial accuracy was verified, and species distributions were visualised using ArcGIS.

File identifier
bmdc.be:dataset:2980 XML
Metadata language
English
Character set
UTF8
Hierarchy level
Dataset
Date stamp
2026-01-27T16:32:04.216Z
Metadata standard name

Geographic information -- Metadata

Metadata standard version

ISO 19115:2003/19139

Point of contact
  Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature), Belgian Marine Data Centre (BMDC)
Vautierstraat 29 , Brussels , 1000 , Belgium Belgium Belgique België Belgien
https://www.bmdc.be
 
 

Overviews

Spatial extent

N
S
E
W
thumbnail


Keywords

fouling fauna
GEMET - Concepts, version 4.2.1
biological monitoring environmental monitoring marine monitoring
GEMET - Concepts, version 4.2.3
animal ecology marine ecology
Worms
Caprella equilibra Say Caprella linearis Caprella mutica Schurin Caprella penantis Leach

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