Hexacoral website

[Bob Buddemeier]

Please visit our website BIOGEOINFORMATICS OF HEXACORALLIA
(http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/Hexacoral/).  It contains the first release
(February 28, 2001) of the "Hexacorallians of the World" database
(http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/Hexacoral/Biodata).

This interactive biogeoinformatics tool contains environmental and
systematic data relevant to cnidarians, including corals (Scleractinia), sea
anemones and their allies (Actiniaria, Corallimorpharia, Ptychodactiaria),
tube anemones (Ceriantharia), and zoanthids (Zoanthidea).

Systematic data include a searchable catalogue of taxa, the complete
bibliographic reference to the work in which each taxon was originally
described, and inventory of type specimens.  This continuing project will
ultimately include synonymy and taxonomic status of each taxon.  It includes
many images, especially for sea anemones -- from published descriptions as
well as never-before-published photographs.  Distribution maps for each
species currently include only type locality and are mainly for sea
anemones; published localities for all taxa are being added.

The environmental database includes global coverages of a variety of
geomorphic, climatic, oceanographic, terrestrial, and human dimension
variables gridded in half-degree cells.  This data inventory, which is being
expanded and refined, provides for both download and direct transfer to the
LoiczView Geospatial Clustering Tool developed by Bruce Maxwell and Casey
Smith at Swarthmore College.

The website presents the developing products and interactions of a
partnership effort addressing the Census of Marine Life.  Present database
applications focus on systematics, environmental typology, and
classifications.  As the project progresses, it will broaden into analyses
of biogeography and temporal changes.  We solicit information about, and
cooperation with, other programs with related methods and goals.

Through 2001, while the systematic data are being assembled rapidly, this
site will be updated approximately monthly.  Updates will include both
additions and corrections -- please help by notifying us of corrections to
be made. The date of the version will be prominently displayed; archival
copies of previous versions can be obtained upon request.

Development of this site was made possible by funding from US National
Science Foundation grant OCE 00-03970 as part of the National Oceanographic
Partnership Program (NOPP) to Daphne G. Fautin and Robert W. Buddemeier.
Significant support for the environmental aspects has been provided by the
project Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) of the
International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP), in part under contract
with the United Nations Environment Programme (GEF) through RWB.
Significant support for the systematic aspects has been provided by US NSF
grants DEB 95-21819 and DEB 99-78106 in the program Partnerships to Enhance
Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) and three supplements in the program Research
Experience for Undergraduates (REU) to DGF.  A list of participants and
project partners is available on the website.

Daphne G. Fautin, PI:  fautin @ukans.edu
Robert W. Buddemeier, co-PI:  buddrw at kgs.ukans.edu


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