7dd0e4f3-252f-43ce-b6f5-3cfc6363c883 GroundCoTrait (Groundwater-associated Copepod Trait Dataset) Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) PhD student ago.tabilio@gmail.com 0000-0002-3051-8885 Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) PhD student ago.tabilio@gmail.com 0000-0002-3051-8885 Martina Pulieri University of Salento Research assistant martina.pulieri@unisalento.it 0009-0001-9691-1989 Information Manager Tiziana Di Lorenzo National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) Senior Researcher tiziana.dilorenzo@cnr.it 0000-0002-3131-7049 Content Provider Diana M.P. Galassi University of L'Aquila Full professor dianamariapaola.galassi@univaq.it 0000-0002-6448-2710 Content Provider Nataša Mori National Institute of Biology Head of Department natasa.mori@nib.si 0000-0002-1168-305X Originator Mattia Di Cicco University of L'Aquila Research fellow mattia.dicicco@univaq.it 0000-0002-3432-2492 Processor Emma Galmarini University of L'Aquila PhD student emma.galmarini@student.univaq.it Content Provider Barbara Fiasca University of L'Aquila Senior Laboratory Technician barbara.fiasca@univaq.it 0000-0001-9353-6303 Content Provider Sanda Iepure Babeș-Bolyai University Associate professor sanda.iepure@ubbcluj.ro 0000-0002-3748-3478 Content Provider Maria Mirabela Pop Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology PhD student mariamirabelapop@gmail.com 0009-0007-8221-473X Content Provider Ilaria Rosati National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) Technologist ilaria.rosati@cnr.it 0000-0003-3422-7230 Custodian Steward 2025-11-05 English This dataset contains the functional traits of 314 individuals from 14 groundwater-associated copepod species collected at 6 groundwater sites across Italy, Slovenia, and Romania (4 karstic caves, 1 karstic spring, 1 alluvial aquifer). The dataset encompasses 4 stygobitic cyclopoid, 4 stygobitic harpacticoid, 2 stygophilic harpacticoid, and 4 stygoxene harpacticoid species. The dataset includes 10 continuous traits (5 morphometric and 5 locomotor-behavioural) of adult copepod individuals, individuals' sex and habitat preference, and full taxonomic and sampling site details. All measurements were obtained on living specimens. copepoda groundwater Environmental Thesaurus Functional trait Behavioural trait Morphological trait Movement Traits Thesaurus cc-by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ DOI https://doi.org/10.48372/HVNX-R248 Info and download page on LifeWatch Italy Data Portal https://data.lifewatchitaly.eu/handle/123456789/326243 Antro del Corchia karstic cave 10.296 10.296 44.029 44.029 Grotta del Vento karstic cave 10.358 10.358 44.033 44.033 Tinello karstic spring 10.355 10.355 44.026 44.026 Pianosa alluvial aquifer 10.081 10.081 42.583 42.583 Pekel pri Zalogu karstic cave 15.133 15.133 46.29 46.29 Movile karstic cave 28.561 28.561 43.826 43.826 2024-07-25 2025-04-22 Species Attheyella (Attheyella) crassa JN2D Subspecies Attheyella (Attheyella) wierzejskii wierzejskii 8FRK3 Species Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) typhlops NHQP Subspecies Bryocamptus (Rheocamptus) zschokkei zschokkei 5DP9J Species Diacyclops belgicus Subspecies Elaphoidella elaphoides elaphoides 7ZH37 Species Elaphoidella phreatica 392W6 Subspecies Eucyclops subterraneus scythicus 7ZH59 Genus Moraria 7PKQL Species Nitocrella ensifera 47JKZ Subspecies Pesceus schmeili schmeili 8GV73 Species Pilocamptus pilosus 4HTW6 Species Speocyclops infernus 4YHXM Species Stygocyclops teras 7ZGR9 http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword http://vocabs.lter-europe.net/EnvThes/10099 http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword http://vocabs.lter-europe.net/EnvThes/20917 http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/Functional_Trait http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_cc244e43 http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/Morphological_Trait http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#keyword https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_908ec799 Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) PhD student ago.tabilio@gmail.com 0000-0002-3051-8885 Video and photograph acquisition. Each copepod specimen was gently transferred from its rearing vial into a 0.8 cm diameter circular arena filled with 80 µL of water from its original sampling site. The arena was placed in a temperature-controlled bath to maintain stable thermal conditions during recording. Specimens were filmed for 60 seconds at 30 frames per second using a Leica M80 stereomicroscope equipped with an MC170 HD camera (Leica Microsystems). Slovenian specimens were filmed at 15 frames per second using a Dino-Lite Edge Digital Microscope. After recording, individuals were anesthetized with CO₂ and photographed in prone and lateral positions for morphometric analyses. Leica Microsystems Leica M80 stereomicroscope MC170 HD camera Dino-Lite Edge Digital Microscope Locomotor-behavioural analysis. Videos were processed using Noldus EthoVision XT 17.5 software (Noldus Information Technology) to track centroid coordinates of each individual. Trajectories were smoothed using a LOWESS filter to reduce high-frequency noise while preserving biologically meaningful movement patterns. A 21-sample window was used for 30 fps videos, and an 11-sample window was used for 15 fps videos. Locomotor-behavioural traits quantified included Distance Moved (mm; total displacement of the animal centroid, with a 0.15 mm s-1 starting velocity threshold), Average Velocity (mm s-1; mean speed of the centroid, with an outlier filter applied over a 1-sample interval), and Maximum Velocity (mm s-1; maximum instantaneous speed of the centroid, with an outlier filter applied over a 1-sample interval). Movement (%) was calculated as the fraction of movement frames relative to the total number of frames recorded. This provided a measure of the individual’s behavioural activity level. Maximum acceleration (mm s-2) was calculated as the greatest value of the instantaneous acceleration (a(t)=(dv(t))/dt) observed over the time interval of motion. This represented the highest rate of change of velocity with respect to time. https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt https://noldus.com/ethovision-xt 1.75 After measurement, the specimens were sacrificed and preserved in 97% ethanol solution for subsequent taxonomic identification that was carried out using specialized literature (Borutzky 1952; Dussart 1967, 1969; Boxshall and Halsey 2004; Wells 2007) and online resources, such as the Virtual Copepod Library (Walter and Boxshall, 2025 ). The sampling encompassed a range of groundwater and groundwater-associated habitats across Italy, Slovenia, and Romania. In Italy, specimens were collected from the Apuan Alps and the Tuscan Archipelago; in Slovenia, from the Pekel pri Zalogu cave system; and in Romania, from the Movile Cave. Sampling campaigns were conducted between November 2022 and March 2025. At each sampling site, specimens were collected only once. The collected organisms belong to the Class Copepoda, specifically the Orders Harpacticoida and Cyclopoida. Copepod specimens were collected from multiple groundwater and groundwater-associated habitats across Italy, Slovenia, and Romania between November 2022 and March 2025. Sampling methods were adapted to each habitat type to maximize collection efficiency: 1. Moraria sp.Co1: November 2022, two drips in the Stalactites Gallery, Antro del Corchia cave (Apuan Alps, Italy). Drip water was collected using devices placed under active drips following Pipan and Culver (2005). 2. Bryocamptus zschokkei: December 2022, Sorgente del Tinello, a karstic spring in the Apuan Alps (Italy). Sediments were disturbed by foot, and dislodged fauna collected with a 60 μm-mesh hand net (Malard et al., 2002). 3. Stygocyclops teras: June 2024, subterranean lake in Grotta del Vento, Apuan Alps (Italy). The collection followed cave fauna sampling procedures (Malard et al., 2002). 4. Eucyclops subterraneus scythicus: October 2024, Lake Room of Movile Cave, Romania. Individuals were collected using a 63 μm-mesh net and repeatedly pooled into lake water. 5. Nitocrella ensifera: October 2024, borehole on Pianosa Island, Tuscan Archipelago (Italy). Groundwater (500 L) was pumped and filtered through a 60 μm-mesh net (Malard et al., 2002). 6. Attheyella crassa, Attheyella wierzejskii, Bryocamptus typhlops, Diacyclops belgicus, Elaphoidella elaphoides, Elaphoidella phreatica, Pesceus schmeili, Pilocamptus pilosus, Speocyclops infernus: February–March 2025, Pekel pri Zalogu cave system (Slovenia). Sediments were disturbed by hand, and fauna were collected with a 60 μm-mesh hand net following established cave sampling protocols (Malard et al., 2002). Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) PhD student ago.tabilio@gmail.com 0000-0002-3051-8885 Point Of Contact Tiziana Di Lorenzo National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) Senior Researcher tiziana.dilorenzo@cnr.it 0000-0002-3131-7049 Point Of Contact Diana M.P. Galassi University of L'Aquila Full professor dianamariapaola.galassi@univaq.it 0000-0002-6448-2710 Point Of Contact Nataša Mori National Institute of Biology Head of Department natasa.mori@nib.si 0000-0002-1168-305X Point Of Contact Mattia Di Cicco University of L'Aquila Research fellow mattia.dicicco@univaq.it 0000-0002-3432-2492 Point Of Contact Barbara Fiasca University of L'Aquila Senior Laboratory Technician barbara.fiasca@univaq.it 0000-0001-9353-6303 Point Of Contact DarCo aims to advance knowledge about subterranean biodiversity in Europe and inform its management. The overarching goal is to develop a concrete plan to incorporate subterranean ecosystems in the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership under the 2021–2022 BiodivProtect joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA N°101052342) and with the funding organisations Ministry of Universities and Research (Italy), Agencia Estatal de Investigación – Fundación Biodiversidad (Spain), Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal), Suomen Akatemia – Ministry of the Environment (Finland), Belgian Science Policy Office (Belgium), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V. (Germany), Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (Grant N° 31BD30_209583, Switzerland), Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Austria), Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (Slovenia) and the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (Romania). Groundwater_Copepod_Trait.csv Groundwater_Copepod_Trait.csv 113356 MD5:2d9a5f4195dab605a9c3ffdaefd9b280 UTF-8 1 column , eventID Event ID An identifier for the set of information associated with a dwc:Event (something that occurs at a place and time). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/eventID order Order The full scientific name of the order in which the dwc:Taxon is classified. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/order family Family The full scientific name of the family in which the dwc:Taxon is classified. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/family subfamily Subfamily The full scientific name of the subfamily in which the dwc:Taxon is classified. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/subfamily genus Genus The full scientific name of the genus in which the dwc:Taxon is classified. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/genus subgenus Subgenus The full scientific name of the subgenus in which the dwc:Taxon is classified. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/version/subgenus-2025-06-12 specificEpithet Specific Epithet The name of the first or species epithet of the dwc:scientificName. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/specificEpithet infraspecificEpithet Infraspecific Epithet The name of the lowest or terminal infraspecific epithet of the dwc:scientificName, excluding any rank designation. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/infraspecificEpithet scientificName Scientific Name The full scientific name, with authorship and date information if known. When forming part of a dwc:Identification, this should be the name in lowest level taxonomic rank that can be determined. This term should not contain identification qualifications, which should instead be supplied in the dwc:identificationQualifier term. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/scientificName scientificNameAuthorship Scientific Name Authorship The authorship information for the dwc:scientificName formatted according to the conventions of the applicable dwc:nomenclaturalCode. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/scientificNameAuthorship namePublishedInYear Name Published In Year The four-digit year in which the dwc:scientificName was published. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/namePublishedInYear acceptedNameUsage Accepted Name Usage The full name, with authorship and date information if known, of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) dwc:Taxon. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/acceptedNameUsage acceptedNameUsageID Accepted Name Usage ID An identifier for the name usage (documented meaning of the name according to a source) of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) taxon. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasCode http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/acceptedNameUsageID taxonRank Taxon Rank The taxonomic rank of the most specific name in the dwc:scientificName. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/taxonRank country Country The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the dcterms:Location occurs. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/country locality Locality The specific description of the place. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/locality habitat Habitat A category or description of the habitat in which the dwc:Event occurred. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/habitat decimalLongitude Decimal Longitude decimalLongitude degree real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/decimalLongitude decimalLatitude Decimal Latitude decimalLatitude degree real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/decimalLatitude geodeticDatum Geodetic Datum The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in dwc:decimalLatitude and dwc:decimalLongitude are based. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/geodeticDatum eventDate eventDate eventDate Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/eventDate temperature water temperature [EOL] any measurable characteristic related to the temperature of water celsius real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType http://vocabs.lter-europe.net/EnvThes/22313 ecologicalClassification Habitat preference A measure to explain the preference of an organism or taxon for particular habitats. Stygobites Groundwater-obligate dwellers which complete their entire life cycle in groundwater Gibert et al. Stygophiles Species that can complete their life cycle in groundwater but are not strictly bound to it for surviva also occurring frequently in surface waters Gibert et al. Stygoxenes Surface-water species that occasionally enter groundwater but do not establish permanent populations there Gibert et al. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_8ea19788 sex Sex The sex of the biological individual(s) represented in the dwc:Occurrence. Any Text http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#hasContext http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/sex bodySize Body size Morphological measurable characteristic related to the size of the body or part of the body of an organism. Body size is comparable across taxa and variable through time and space. Body size can vary within taxonomic groups, with gender and life stage. millimeter real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_efccde31 bodyShape Body shape The general shape of the body or part of an organism. Angle (°) between the diagonal and the shorter base of the isosceles trapezoid with which the copepod's silhouette is simplified (higher angular values [~ 75 °] indicate a body shape tending towards the slender type, while lower angular values [~ 40 °] indicate a body shape tending towards the pyriform or spherical type). degree real NaN Used when the angle could not be estimated; i.e., when the specimen assumed a V-shape position following anesthesia, and it was not possible to take a photograph from the dorsal view. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_621df9ab bodyMass Body weight Any measurable characteristic related to the body weight of an organism. milligram real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_abf1e71e antennuleElongation Antennule elongation ratio The relative length of the antennule (A1), expressed as the ratio of antennule length to body length. dimensionless real NaN Used when the antennular length measurement was not feasible; i.e., when the specimen's posture obscured the antennules in the photographs or when the males had folded their antennules following anesthesia. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_9baf5c0f bodyFlexibility Body flexibility The ability of an organism’s body to bend or curve without breaking, reflecting the range of motion or deformability of the body axis. It is commonly assessed by the maximum body angle, expressed in degrees (°), that can be achieved or maintained during movement. degree real NaN Used when the angle measurement could not be taken; i.e., when the specimen did not assume a V-position and its body angle did not deviate from a flat angle. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_d30845a3 distanceMoved Path length The total distance travelled by an organism during a defined observation period. It represents the cumulative displacement of the organism’s trajectory, providing a measure of its locomotor activity. millimeter real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_2e04279b averageVelocity Mean velocity The mean rate of movement of an organism during a defined observation period. millimetersPerSecond real NaN Used when the specimen remained immobile during the 1-minute video recording. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_7f1aaaae maximumVelocity Maximum velocity The maximum rate of movement of an organism during a defined observation period. millimetersPerSecond real NaN Used when the specimen remained immobile during the 1-minute video recording. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_1920bc47 movement Movement duration The proportion of time during which anorganism is actively moving within a defined observation period. It may be expressed as an absolute time or as a percentage of activity, determined by applying a specified velocity threshold. percent real http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_94b877ec maximumAcceleration Maximum acceleration The maximum rate of change in the speed of an organism over time. It represents how rapidly the organism increases its velocity. Millimetres per second squared real NaN Used when the specimen remained immobile during the 1-minute video recording. http://ecoinformatics.org/oboe/oboe.1.2/oboe-core.owl#containsMeasurementsOfType https://kos.lifewatch.eu/thesauri/traits/c_a38bd66f 314