This tool allows to analyse the biological data from IOC Alien Species Database and the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) oceanographic surveys stored in the SIRENO database. It is possible to calculate biological indices such as abundance. In addition, it facilitates to compare this information with the available data in OBIS and FAO. Also is possible to link this biological information with oceanographic information provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, Boulder, Colorado, USA, from their Web site at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/

When the user launches this tool, the "Select Samples" panel appears on the map.

This panel contains several selectors from which the user can choose the information that is loaded into the map. The data source can be selected using the Source selector. The options include (i) the IOC Alien Species database, (ii) the IEO surveys, which selects samples from the Instituto Español de Oceanografía region, (iii) the OBIS option, which provides access to the open-source data available on the OBIS website, (iv) the FAO species distribution selector, which allows to load the vectorial distribution information available through the FAO's published WMS and (v) the IOC Alien Species-IEO-OBIS-FAO option enables visualization of all datasets.

Once a dataset is selected, specific selectors of the corresponding dataset become available.

In the IEO section, inside the Select Sample panel, two selectors allow to filter by survey and by species.

Clicking the 'View Result' button sends an Ajax request to the server, and the geoprocessing service returns the data in JSON format. This response is added to the map as a point layer, which is then centred and zoomed. In the following case, the survey with the acronym IBN SINA8104 is selected. If the Species selector is left blank, all available survey samples are selected as default. Similarly, if no survey is selected from the Survey selector, all surveys are added to the filter.

At the same time, the symbol panel appears, allowing you to select a style for the layer that has been loaded. The symbology tool's use will be described later.

If the biological index is available, a graph with that information is automatically added below the map. The user can make new selections, and a new graph appears below the map, allowing them to compare the results. For example, it is possible to compare one survey with another.

When the user hovers over an entity, a popup window appears that displays the metadata information for the selected sample.

The 'By Polygon' button allows to the user draw a polygon over the map. Click with the left mouse button to add vertices and double click to finish. Once time finish the polygon the geometry is send to the corresponding geoprocessing service as a spatial filter. The result of this query are the entities that are inside of the polygon and satisfying the value requirements selected by the user.

The 'By Buffer' button allows to generate an area as spatial filter. When the user clicks over this button the Geodesic Panel is displayed, this panel was described in Auxiliary Tools section. The user can generate an influence area and the resulting polygon is used as a spatial filter in the corresponding geoprocessing service. The result of this service is returned as a POST Ajax call in JSON format. This result is loaded as a point layer in the map.

In the OBIS section inside the Select Sample panel, the user find two selectors that allow filter by family and by species.

As in the previous case, using the Select, By Polygon, and By Buffer buttons, the app sends the filter parameters (spatial or attribute) to the geoprocessing service, which returns the results in JSON format. The result is loaded into the map as a point layer. Due to the large number of entities returned, this layer is typically clustered, and only the first 10,000 records are displayed for operational reasons.

When user click over an entity a popup is displayed and the metadata of this sample is shown.

In the FAO section, the user can select the species to show the distribution area for the species selected.

This analytic tool allows to drag and drop CSV files on the map. To load the user's data into the app, the information must be stored in a text file with a CSV format CSV (Coma Separated Value). The file's header corresponds to the names of each column. This file must contain two fields, one called lon and the other lat. In both fields, the position is stored. The lon field corresponds to longitude and the lat field to latitude, both in the WGS84 (EPGS:4326) reference system and in decimal degrees with the comma as a decimal separator. Only these fields are required; the remainder of the fields correspond to the data that the user wishes to analyze.

Here is an example about the csv format ready to be uploaded by the application.

To load the file into the tool, simply drag and drop it over the map, and a layer of points with the CSV file's sample position is displayed.

First, a panel allows to load oceanographic data in the CSV table (Source: NOAA)

Then, the symbol panel appears, allowing you to select the appropriate symbology.

The Category selector allows access to a variety of symbols. It is possible to select the color once a symbol has been selected (by clicking over it).

Graduated symbols are used to show a quantitative difference between mapped features by varying the size of symbols. Data is classified into ranges that are each then assigned a symbol size to represent the range. For instance, if your classification scheme has five classes, five different symbol sizes are assigned. The color of the symbols stays the same.

Symbol size is an effective way to represent differences in magnitude of a phenomenon because larger symbols are naturally associated with meaning a greater amount of something. Using graduated symbols gives you a good degree of control over the size of each symbol, because they are not related directly to data values as they are with proportional symbols. This means you can design a set of symbols that have sufficient variation in the size that represents each class of data to make them distinguishable from one another.

In the value selector the field to symbolize is selected. In the classes input the user can write the number of classes to distinguish. With the min value and max value, the user can select the min and max value in pixels of the symbol

Proportional symbology is used to show relative differences in quantities among features. Proportional symbology is like graduated symbols symbology in that both draw symbols sized relative to the magnitude of a feature attribute. Unlike graduated symbols, which divide features into distinct classes, proportional symbols represent quantitative values as a series of unclassified symbols, each sized according to a specific value.

In the value selector the field to symbolize is selected. With the min value and max value, the user can select the min and max value in pixels of the symbol.

The Biological Data tool also includes the Geodesic, Print Map, and Export CSV tools, as described on the home page.

The CCLME Alien Species database was designed in a collaborative manner by experts working in the CCLME region, under the frame of the project “Invasive alien species and other ocean stressors: Furthering the scientific knowledge and capacity basis in the CCLME region (for further information click on “The Project” in the top bar).

The database compiles 305 registers of alien species in the CCLME region, extracted by experts from publications (articles and grey literature). The database does not include registers from personal communications and unpublished materials.

The agreed template includes the following terms to be filled:

• Database ID: Number given within the database.
• scientificName: Scientific name of the species.
• scientificNameID: Worms identifier.
• higherClassification: Taxa.
• taxonRank: The taxonomic rank of the most specific name in the scientificName.
• kingdom: The full scientific name of the kingdom in which the taxon is classified.
• phylum: The full scientific name of the phylum or division in which the taxon is classified.
• class: The full scientific name of the class in which the taxon is classified.
• Subclass: The full scientific name of the subclass in which the taxon is classified.
• order: The full scientific name of the order in which the taxon is classified.
• family: The full scientific name of the family in which the taxon is classified.
• organismQuantity: A number or enumeration value for the quantity of organisms
• organismQuantityType: The type of quantification system used for the quantity of organisms.
• establishmentMeans: Introduced to a given place and time through the direct or indirect activity of modern humans; e.g native, introduced, etc. If published, last status of the species should be indicated. In that case a clarification is indicated under occurrenceRemarks, providing further information about the original status in the reference associated to the register, and indicating the latest bibliographic reference to justify the change.
• degreeOfEstablishment: The degree to which an Organism survives, reproduces, and expands its range at the given place and time; e.g. native, invasive, etc.
• habitat: A category or description of the habitat in which the Event occurred, e.g. estuarine, marine; and coral reef, rocky reef, sand, etc.
• Impact: It could be either positive or negative, e.g. economic, ecologic, ecosystem services, etc. Free text.
• Impact Classification: If deleterious impact, to be described using: (i) Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa, e.g. Cryptogenic (CG), Data Deficient (DD), Minimal Concern (MC), Minor (MN), Moderate (MO), Major (MR), Massive (MV), No Alien Population (NA), Not Evaluated (NE); or (ii) Socio-Economic Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (SEICAT) according to observed changes in people's activities, e.g. Minimal concern (MC), Minor (MN), Moderate (MO), Major (MR), Massive (MV), Data deficient (DD).

The CCLME Alien Species database does not include cryptogenic species, in the attendance of the species to be ratified as alien.

• pathway: The process by which an Organism came to be in a given place at a given time; e.g. parasiteOnAnimals, ballastWater, hullFouling, etc.
• eventDate: Date-time when the event was recorded; e.g. year-month-day, year-month, year, year/year, etc.
• Event Year: Year of the event (the first year in case of a period). When the event Year is unknown, this field is filled in the CCLME Alien Species database with the year of publication. In that case a clarification is provided under ocurrenceRemarks. This filed is only presented to facilitate the search by year in the CCLME Eco-GIS Viewer.
• associatedReferences:A list of identifiers of literature associated with the Occurrence; e.g. bibliographic citation.
• decimalLongitude: The geographic longitude in decimal degrees.
• decimalLatitude: The geographic latitude in decimal degrees.
• minimumDepthInMeters: The lesser depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in meters.
• maximumDepthInMeters: The greater depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in meters.
• verbatimDepth: The original description of the depth below the local surface; e.g. 100-200 m
• coordinateUncertaintyInMeters: The horizontal distance (in m) from the given decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude describing the smallest circle containing the whole of the Location.
• country: The name of the country in which the Location occurs.
• islandGroup: The name of the island group in which the Location occurs.
• georeferenceRemarks: Comments about the spatial description determination, explaining assumptions made, i.e. in case the exact geographical location is not provided in the article, and an approximate point is used (e.g. a geographical position within a port).
• occurrenceRemarks: Comments or notes about the Occurrence; i.e. additional information deemed important, such as associated environmental condition (salinity, temperature, and its intensity).
• metadataProvider: Name of the individual filling in the register in the CCLME Alien Species database, name of the individual’s organization, and electronic mail address.

Disclaimer for the CCLME Alien Species Database

The CCLME Alien Species database was designed and populated in a collaborative manner by experts working in the CCLME region. This effort was carried out under the frame of the IOC project “Invasive alien species and other ocean stressors: Furthering the scientific knowledge and capacity basis in the CCLME region” (for further information, click on “The Project”).

The registers were extracted from bibliographic references (articles, reports, books of abstracts), timeframe is 1832-2022.

Some clarifications regarding the information included in the database are available under “About” window of “Biological data”, the analytical tool where this database is presented.

• Source of Data: The inclusion of data in this Database does not imply endorsement or recommendation by UNESCO or its IOC.
• Data gaps: Geographic and temporal data gaps related to scientific productivity at national level are reflected in this Database. Additionally, not all existing scientific publications presenting alien species registers for the region could be reviewed. Further efforts will be needed to fill in these gaps and to incorporate more recent records of alien species in the region.
• Quality assurance: No independent peer-review of the data was conducted. We rely on user feedback to identify any errors in data served.
• Use of the Database: The use of the CCLME Alien Species Database is at the user's discretion and risk. Users are encouraged to consult primary, more authoritative sources when making decisions that could affect public safety or have legal implications.