Mapping knowledge gaps in marine diversity reveals a latitudinal gradient of missing species richness
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2018
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A reliable description of any spatial pattern in species richness requires accurate knowledge
about species geographical distribution. However, sampling bias may generate artefactual
absences within species range and compromise our capacity to describe biodiversity patterns.
Here, we analysed the spatial distribution of 35,000 marine species (varying from
copepods to sharks) to identify missing occurrences (gaps) across their latitudinal range. We
find a latitudinal gradient of species absence peaking near the equator, a pattern observed in
both shallow and deep waters. The tropical gap in species distribution seems a consequence
of reduced sampling effort at low latitudes. Overall, our results suggest that spatial gaps in
species distribution are the main cause of the bimodal pattern of marine diversity. Therefore,
only increasing sampling effort at low latitudes will reveal if the absence of species in the
tropics, and the consequent dip in species richness, are artefacts of sampling bias or a natural
phenomenon.
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MENEGOTTO, André; RANGEL, Thiago F. Mapping knowledge gaps in marine diversity reveals a latitudinal gradient of missing species richness. Nature Communications, London, v. 9, n. 4713, p. 4713, 2018. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07217-7. Disponível em: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07217-7. Acesso em: 27 mar. 2023.