The present dataset provides a comprehensive preliminary assessment of the diversity and distribution of mesophotic species inhabiting submarine elevations and deep terraces within the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary (Malpelo FFS). Based on real time remote and in situ observations, as well as biological samples collected at selected sites, this work contributes essential baseline information and highlights the need to incorporate mesophotic habitats in conservation planning, ecosystem-based management, and long-term monitoring strategies in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of the Colombian Pacific. A summary of 591 records is linked to the 20 sampling stations described in the associated event table. Additionally, to supplement the occurrences, a total of 828 data records for other variables—such as count, organism type, life stage, vitality, sampling equipment, and vessel—are provided, which are detailed in the extended measurement or facts table (eMoF). Additionally, as supporting evidence, 70 images are provided in the simple multimedia extension, which is also included in the resource. This dataset is linked to the Data Report Article published at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1879566/full
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Front. Mar. Sci. 13:1879566. doi:","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"INVEMAR y Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia.2025. Expedición Científica Mesofotica Al santuario de Flora y Fauna, Pacífico Colombiano. Santa Marta, Colombia. Informe Técnico Final. Grant2025/37. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras José Benito Vives de Andréis . Santa Marta Colombia. Colombia 165p","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Cedeño-Posso C, Vides-Casado M, Rocha V, Borrero-Pérez GH, Polanco F A and Alonso D (2022) Benthic macrohabitat classification and Madracis spp. coral patch distribution in a deep-sea marine protected area of Colombia. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:995419. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.995419","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Cedeño-Posso C, Chasqui L, Lizarazo N, Barrios-Vásquez E, Osorno A, Giraldo D, Marín-Pulgarín E, Sánchez J, Lazarus JF, Borrero-Pérez G, Vásquez Acosta JL, Florián-Sánchez MJ, Caicedo-Amaranto M, Rodríguez-Toscano A and Montoya-Cadavid E (2026) Discovering the mesophotic fauna of Malpelo Ridge: biodiversity insights in a remote marine sanctuary. Front. Mar. Sci. 13:1879566. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2026.1879566","identifier":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2026.1879566","citationProvidedBySource":false}],"curatorialUnits":[],"taxonomicCoverages":[{"description":"The records were identified by national experts from each group down to the lowest possible taxonomic category. Overall, considering the total number of records, identification was carried out to the following levels: Phylum (0.6%), Class (12.9%), Order (9.1%), Suborder (0.34%), Infraorder (0.17%), Family (11.5%), Genus (21.4%), and Species (44.7%). By taxon, the taxonomic ranges expressed in number of records are: Annelida: Family 5, Genus 15, Species 11. Arthropoda: Order 8, Family 26, Genus 17, Species 5. Chordata: Genus 33, Species 165. Cnidaria: Class 4, Order 1, Family 29, Genus 32, Species 1. Cyanobacteria: Class 2. Echinodermata: Class 54, Order 5, Family 7, Genus 6, Species 45. Mollusca: Class 3, Order 3, Genus 4, Species 4. Nematoda: Genus 9. Nemertea: Suborder 2. Platyhelminthes: Order 1, Infraorder 1, Genus 1. Porifera: Phylum 3, Class 12, Orden 3, Familia 1, Genus 29. Rhodophyta: Order 35. Bryozoa: Family 1, Genus 8.","coverages":[{"scientificName":"Animalia","commonName":"Animal","rank":{"verbatim":"kingdom","interpreted":"KINGDOM"}},{"scientificName":"Annelida","commonName":"Anélido","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Clitellata","commonName":"Anélido","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Polychaeta","commonName":"Anélido","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Arthropoda","commonName":"Artrópodo","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Copepoda","commonName":"Copépodo","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Malacostraca","commonName":"Crustáceo","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Ostracoda","commonName":"Crustáceo","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Pycnogonida","commonName":"Picnogónido","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Thecostraca","commonName":"Crustáceo","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Chordata","commonName":"Peces","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Teleostei","commonName":"Peces","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Cnidaria","commonName":"Cnidario","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Hexacorallia","commonName":"Anémonas / Corales verdaderos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Hydrozoa","commonName":"Hydrozoo","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Octocorallia","commonName":"Alcionarios","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Scyphozoa","commonName":"Medusas","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Echinodermata","commonName":"Equinodermo","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Asteroidea","commonName":"Estrella de mar","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Echinoidea","commonName":"Erizo de mar","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Holothuroidea","commonName":"Pepino de mar","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Ophiuroidea","commonName":"Estrella quebradiza","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Mollusca","commonName":"Molusco","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Bivalvia","commonName":"Bivalvos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Gastropoda","commonName":"Gastrópodos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Polyplacophora","commonName":"Quitones","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Nematoda","commonName":"Nematodos","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Enoplea","commonName":"Nematodos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Chromadorea","commonName":"Nematodos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Nemertea","commonName":"Nemetinos","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Hoplonemertea","commonName":"Nemetinos","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Platyhelminthes","commonName":"Platelmintos","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Porifera","commonName":"Esponjas","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Demospongiae","commonName":"Esponjas","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}},{"scientificName":"Bacteria","commonName":"Bacterias","rank":{"verbatim":"kingdom","interpreted":"KINGDOM"}},{"scientificName":"Cyanobacteria","commonName":"Cianobacterias","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}},{"scientificName":"Plantae","commonName":"Plantas","rank":{"verbatim":"kingdom","interpreted":"KINGDOM"}},{"scientificName":"Rhodophyta","commonName":"Algas rojas","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}}]}],"geographicCoverages":[{"description":"The Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary (Malpelo FFS), constitutes a key biodiversity enclave within the ETPO. While Malpelo is widely recognized for its importance as an aggregation site for pelagic fish, sharks, marine mammals, and sea turtles; its mesophotic ecosystems (30–150 m depth) remain largely unexplored. These habitats harbor biological communities that likely play a critical role in ecosystem functioning and resilience, particularly in the face of environmental variability and climate change. Nevertheless, information on mesophotic marine fauna from the Malpelo FSS remains scarce. Malpelo Island is located in the tropical eastern Pacific off the coast of Colombia, 350 km from the mainland and 380 km from the Colombian coast. It is a small volcanic island, 1.8 km long and 0.6 km wide, surrounded by eleven islets. Its topography is rugged, with steep slopes, and its seabed is rocky. The clear, sediment-free waters support a rich biodiversity, including commercially valuable fish species. Due to its biological richness and strategic location, Malpelo Island was declared a \"Flora and Fauna Sanctuary\" extending 6 nautical miles offshore.","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":3.97242,"maxLatitude":4.02498,"minLongitude":-81.62217,"maxLongitude":-81.59732,"globalCoverage":false}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"range","start":"2025-03-04T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2025-03-13T00:00:00.000+00:00"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Samplingevent"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Occurrence"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Colombian Pacific"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Scientific expedition"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Marine biodiversity"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Communities of depth"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Annelida"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Arthropoda"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Chordata"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Cnidaria"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Cyanobacteria"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Echinodermata"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Mollusca"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Nematoda"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Nemertea"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Platyhelminthes"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Porifera"]},{"thesaurus":"n/a","keywords":["Rhodophyta"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["Observation"]}],"project":{"title":"Deep seamount biodiversity exploration and MPA monitoring strategies in the Colombian Pacific along bathymetric gradients","identifier":"MPA Deep seamounts Pacific - FCD","contacts":[{"type":"POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Martha Patricia","lastName":"Vides-Casado","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1461-3401"],"firstName":"David Alejandro","lastName":"Alonso Carvajal","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7174-5382"],"firstName":"Vanessa","lastName":"Yepes Narváez","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":false,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8622-2947"],"firstName":"Cristina María","lastName":"Cedeño-Posso","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"PROCESSOR","primary":false,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2349-8417"],"firstName":"David Alejandro","lastName":"Navarrete-Rodríguez","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}],"funding":"This project was carried out under Grant Number: 2025/37 COL, in collaboration between the “José Benito Vives de Andréis” Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR) and the Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (Bezos Earth Foundation-BEF).","awards":[],"studyAreaDescription":"The Malpelo Archipelago is located in the Eastern Tropical Pacific at coordinates 4° 0'6.47“N and 81°36'27.81”W, in the Panama Basin. It is considered a tectonically complex region because the Nazca and Cocos tectonic plates converge there; It falls under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Colombia and, in terms of political-administrative division, belongs to the municipality of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca. It is located approximately 490 kilometers west of the port of Buenaventura. This area consists of a main island (Malpelo), surrounded by 11 much smaller islets, four of which are located at the northern tip and known as Los Mosqueteros (Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan), two in the east (Vagamares and La Torta), and the remaining five in the southernmost part, known as La Gringa, Escuba, Saúl, David, and Salomón. Malpelo in particular, which is the island of interest for the expedition, is approximately 1,643 meters long, has a maximum width of 727 meters, and a maximum elevation of 360 meters above sea level at Cerro de la Mona, and its land area consists of about 35 hectares, including volcanic cliffs that rise from depths of over 4,000 meters.","designDescription":"The sampling assessed three components\n\n1. Geological: Acquisition of bathymetric data using the GeoSwath 4R multibeam system (125 kHz).\n\n2. Biological: (A) Visual sampling transects: Using an ROV and a drift camera to characterize benthic megafauna. Diving during which biological samples were collected for barcoding analysis. (B) Transit around the island conducting marine fauna observation (MFO): Marine mammals, birds, and turtles, using the visual sweep observation method (Jefferson, 2009). (C) For pelagic biological characterization, stations were established around the island where plankton nets were towed to collect samples (500 ml); additionally, seawater was filtered using peristaltic pumps and eDNA filters.\n\n3. Oceanographic: At stations around the island, a CTDO was used to measure temperature and salinity, and a Niskin bottle was used to collect water samples for planktonic characterization.","relatedProjects":[],"abstract":"INVEMAR carried out Project No. 2025/37 COL, “DEEP SEAMOUNT BIODIVERSITY EXPLORATION AND MPA MONITORING STRATEGIES IN THE COLOMBIAN PACIFIC ALONG BATHYMETRIC GRADIENTS,” signed between INVEMAR and the Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galápagos Islands, which aims to improve the knowledge base to enhance the design of existing and recently established deep-sea MPAs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific region of Colombia, including deep-sea areas that have been little or not at all explored due to the technical and financial challenges involved in studying them. The Colombian Pacific MPAs harbor strategic ecosystems that support important fishery resources, as well as shark, cetacean, and turtle species with some level of threat, and high connectivity with other areas of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR); however, they have significant knowledge gaps, especially regarding their deep-sea zones, which include underwater elevations; therefore, they require the strengthening of their current management plans and conservation strategies, or the design and revision of these plans, in light of emerging threats such as intense fishing pressure, climate change, and the prospect of deep-sea mining in the ETPMC in general. One of the project’s activities involved conducting a biodiversity survey through a scientific expedition to the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary - SFF Malpelo to characterize and model the mesophotic underwater elevations and terrace habitats between 50 and 200 m deep present in this MPA by obtaining a detailed bathymetric model of the seafloor, followed by a seafloor exploration using a Remote Operated Vehicle - R.O.V. in specific areas of interest on the underwater elevations, and, as a complementary effort, the identification of oceanographic dynamics, observation of large marine vertebrates (birds, marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish), and the determination of the taxonomic composition, abundance, and spatial distribution of plankton."},"samplingDescription":{"studyExtent":"Mesophotic habitat and terrace habitats at depths between 30 and 166 m in the Malpelo SFF.","sampling":"The research cruise to the Malpelo (SFF) was conducted aboard a Colombian vessel, the Seawolf operated by Mar Antiguo SAS between February 27 and March 16, 2025. It consisted of collecting primary data on the seafloor between depths of 30 and 166 m around the island, with two main components: bathymetry and the ecosystems present in the areas of mesophotic underwater elevations and terrace habitats.\nThis characterization was carried out in two interconnected stages; the first involved the acquisition of bathymetric data at depths between 50 and 200 m surrounding the entire island, navigating a sampling grid. This activity lasted four days, during which, in addition to collecting general data, sites with seafloor anomalies were also identified for exploration using the ROV. The second stage of the expedition consisted of ROV exploration of the detected anomalies to assess potential biological habitats and lasted eight days.","qualityControl":"During data documentation and preparation: Data tables were structured according to the Darwin Core (DwC) standard guidelines for occurrence data used by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the Colombian Biodiversity Information System (SiB Colombia), and the Global Biodiversity Fund (GBIF). The dataset was revalidated during the publication process using the Integrated Publication Toolkit (IPT) by the Colombian node of OBIS. During the IPT publication process, the Colombian node of OBIS first performed verification, considering: (I) curatorial criteria (physical verification of samples and information); (II) taxonomic criteria (taxonomic validations); (III) spatial criteria (georeferencing validations); and (IV) documentary criteria. The standardization was then validated using various tools. Subsequently, a double verification was performed based on established quality indicators to ensure compliance with the requirements of OBIS, SiB Colombia, and GBIF, which are based on the Darwin Core standard. Similarly, the integrity of the documented metadata was validated according to the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) standard guidelines. The dataset was validated once more using IPT tools before the publication process. Image processing included primary editing (basic cleaning, logo addition), cross-validation of data (image data vs. preliminary identification list), creation of image metadata and documentation in the MHNMC (INVEMAR) Flickr repository, extension documentation for DwC images and data structuring, information supplementation, and documentation of resource records.","methodSteps":["Study area and site selection. Using a multibeam echosounder, bathymetric data between 0-200 m depth were acquired from 2 to 6 March 2025 and analyzed in situ to identify geomorphological features of interest for mesophotic exploration using a ROV. A total of 34 bathymetric anomalies were identified as potential habitats and prioritized for visual exploration (Cedeño-Posso et al., in prep).","ROV surveys: From 8 to 12 March 2025, video transects were conducted using the remotely operated vehicle (R.O.V) FOIII Eloy V, owned and operated by INVEMAR. The ROV is equipped with three thrusters, a forward-facing high-definition digital video camera (Full HD/4K), high-power LED lights mounted on a tilting bar, and paired parallel lasers spaced 10 cm apart for scale reference. Video recordings were obtained under two configurations: (1) Full HD for high-resolution analysis and (2) low-resolution video with on-screen display (OSD), including compass heading, vehicle azimuth, and depth. Linear video transects were conducted as the research vessel drifted over the target sites, covering a depth range of 30 to 161 m. A total of 18 ROV video transects were completed, yielding approximately 6.3 h of video footage. ROV positions were estimated indirectly from geographic position of the research vessel, combined with ROV depth and azimuth data recorded in the OSD system. Consequently, spatial coordinates associated with image-based records represent approximate positions along the transect and may include positional uncertainty related to vessel drift, tether angle and current conditions.","Scientific diving surveys and specimen collection: Two submarine hills (sites B2 and B3) were accessible by autonomous diving. Scientific diving surveys were conducted on 8 March 2025 at site B3 and on 13 March 2025 at site B2. At each site, two scientific divers performed a single scuba dive, covering two distinct depth strata 37.5 and 40 mdepth. During these dives, photographs and video recordings were obtained, and physical samples were collected, including rocky substrate fragments and two cnidarian colonies harboring associated invertebrates. A total of 125 invertebrate specimens were separated, including echinoderms (sea urchins and ophiuroids), mollusks, crustaceans annelids, bryozoans, and other macrofaunal groups. Collected specimens were fixed in 96% ethanol. All specimens were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using standard taxonomic approaches and deposited in the reference collections of the Museum of Marine Natural History of Colombia (MHNMC– Makuriwa, INVEMAR), where they were catalogued and assigned unique collection numbers linked to the dataset through Darwin Core fields.","Image extraction, annotation and database construction: A total of 628 Still images (JPEG format) were extracted from 6.3 hours of high definition ROV video transects at 30 s intervals using GOM Player software to reduce spatial autocorrelation within transects. Each extracted image was automatically assigned a unique filename by the software, including the transect number, date, time, observation minute. Images that were excessively dark, out of focus, or recorded at excessive camera altitude were classified as “Not Determined” (ND) and exclude from biological annotation. All extracted images were incorporated manually into a relational database, containing associated metadata, including transect ID,\ndate, time, depth, azimuth, geographic position and macro-habitat\nclassification. Macro-habitats were classified following the deep-sea macrohabitat scheme proposed by Cedeño-Posso et al. (2022a). Frames containing visible biota were subsequently annotated and screened for biological records. Mega and macrobiota were initially classified into broad taxonomic and morphological categories following the CATAMI classification scheme (CATAMI Technical Working Group, 2014). Subsequently, taxonomic identifications were refined to the lowest possible level by specialized taxonomists from the Museum of Marine Natural History of Colombia (MHNMC–Makuriwa, INVEMAR), when diagnostic features were visible in the imagery. When species-level identification was not possible, records were assigned to higher taxonomic categories (family, order, or class), using standardized identification qualifiers following Sigovini et al. (2016). Taxonomic nomenclature was validated against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS Editorial Board, 2026)","Data documentation and preparation followed internationally recognized biodiversity data standards (Wieczorek et al., 2012; Lawrence et al., 2026). All data tables were structured according to Darwin Core (DwC) standard for species occurrence data, ensuring compatibility with the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the Colombian Biodiversity Information System (SiB Colombia), and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The dataset was published and validated using the Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) of the OBIS Colombia node. During this process, a multi-step quality control workflow was implemented, including: (i) curatorial validation, based on verification of physical specimens and associated records; (ii) taxonomic validation, ensuring consistency with current nomenclature standards; (iii) spatial validation, including verification of geographic coordinates and sampling locations; and (iv) documentation validation, ensuring completeness and consistency of associated metadata. Standardization procedures were further assessed using IPT validation tools and institutional quality indicators to ensure compliance with OBIS, SiB Colombia, and GBIF requirements. Metadata completeness and structure were validated according to the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) standard. A final validation step was conducted prior to publication to ensure dataset integrity and interoperability. Image-derived data underwent a structured processing workflow, including basic image editing (e.g., cleaning and labeling), extraction of occurrence information, and cross-validation between image records and preliminary taxonomic identifications. Image metadata was generated and documented in the MHNMC–Makuriwa digital repository (Flickr platform) and linked to the dataset through Darwin Core extensions for multimedia resources."]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[{"name":"Museo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia","identifier":"MHNMC","specimenPreservationMethod":"ALCOHOL","curatorialUnits":[{"typeVerbatim":"Registros biológicos de especímenes","count":0,"deviation":0,"lower":1,"upper":130},{"typeVerbatim":"Registros biológicos de observaciones","count":0,"deviation":0,"lower":1,"upper":461}]},{"name":"Catálogo de fauna de profundidad de Colombia","parentIdentifier":"MHNMC","curatorialUnits":[]}],"dataDescriptions":[],"dataLanguage":"spa","purpose":"The dataset presented here provides a standardized compilation of occurrence records and associated metadata describing the diversity and distribution of mesophotic species inhabiting submarine elevations and deep terraces within the Malpelo FFS. The dataset integrates imaged-based observations obtained through remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys, scientific diving, and biological samples collected during the 2025 Mesophotic Scientific Expedition to the Malpelo FSS, and follows international biodiversity data standards to ensure interoperability and reuse (Wieczorek et al., 2012; Lawrence et al., 2026). It provides baseline information on mesophotic biodiversity in the Colombian Pacific and supports future research, monitoring and ecosystembased management, in MPAs.
","acknowledgements":"To the José Benito Vives de Andréis Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR) for its logistical support during the implementation of the inter-administrative agreement projects 2024/19 COL and Nro. 2025/37 COL. We gratefully acknowledge David Alonso Carvajal, Coordinator of INVEMAR’s Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Programme (BEM), Martha Vides Casado, Head of the Species Inventory, Taxonomy and Biology Line (ITE), and Vanessa Yepes Narvaez for their technical, operational, and administrative support during the development of the project. We also acknowledge the participation of National Natural Parks of Colombia staff (Juan Pablo Ramírez Enríquez, Victor Dario Silva López, Querubín Rodríguez Pinilla), the academic sector through Universidad del Valle (Jhancarlo Verdugo Valencia) and the Malpelo Foundation (Laura Fino Villamil) as active participants in the expedition. To the INVEMAR scientific crew David Navarrete, David Fernando Morales Giraldo, Johan Camilo Casadiego Estevez and Elkin Rafael Pardo for help during ROV dives. We thank Mar Antiguo and the R/V Seawolf crew for their support during the surveys conducted in 2025. Thanks to dive instructor Ramón Alberto Pulido Vázquez for his support and video footage during diving. The advice of Odalisca Breedy, Adriana Gracia and Sven Zea for their valuable guidance in the identification of the group’s octocorals, mollusks and sponges (respectively). Thanks to Jose Luis Ortiz Agudelo of the Information Services Laboratory (LABSIS, GEZ) for producing, the graphic output of the ROV transects map.
","pubDate":"2026-09-15T00:00:00.000+00:00","maintenanceUpdateFrequency":"AS_NEEDED","maintenanceDescription":"","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode","dwca":{"coreType":"http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Event","extensions":["http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Occurrence","http://rs.gbif.org/terms/1.0/Multimedia","http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/MeasurementOrFact"],"modified":"2026-09-15T16:07:36.952+00:00"},"approximateCounts":{"occurrenceCount":981}}