Harmonised dataset of field observations on zoosporic parasites infecting aquatic primary producers
Zoosporic parasites play crucial ecological roles in aquatic environments, influencing algal population dynamics, nutrient cycling, and energy transfer within microbial food webs. Despite their importance, data on their diversity, distribution, and interactions with primary producers remain sparse and fragmented. Here, we present a harmonised dataset of field observations on zoosporic parasites infecting aquatic primary producers. The dataset integrates both published and previously unpublished records, encompassing more than 4,400 observations collected between 2007 and 2022 across 28 sites in Europe and North America. It includes data for 91 unique parasite taxa, along with confirmed and putative parasite–host associations derived from direct microscopic or molecular evidence. All records were standardised using the Darwin Core schema to ensure interoperability and long-term usability. This open-access resource provides a foundation for comparative and meta-analytical studies on parasite–host ecology, biodiversity assessments, and industrial applications related to algal production systems.
Default
IdentificationAbout this resource
- Alternate Identifier
-
867f94ab-21a9-4c2b-8dbe-9de5dade0cb7
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-04
- Title
-
Harmonised dataset of field observations on zoosporic parasites infecting aquatic primary producers
- Abstract
-
Zoosporic parasites play crucial ecological roles in aquatic environments, influencing algal population dynamics, nutrient cycling, and energy transfer within microbial food webs. Despite their importance, data on their diversity, distribution, and interactions with primary producers remain sparse and fragmented. Here, we present a harmonised dataset of field observations on zoosporic parasites infecting aquatic primary producers. The dataset integrates both published and previously unpublished records, encompassing more than 4,400 observations collected between 2007 and 2022 across 28 sites in Europe and North America. It includes data for 91 unique parasite taxa, along with confirmed and putative parasite–host associations derived from direct microscopic or molecular evidence. All records were standardised using the Darwin Core schema to ensure interoperability and long-term usability. This open-access resource provides a foundation for comparative and meta-analytical studies on parasite–host ecology, biodiversity assessments, and industrial applications related to algal production systems.
- Dataset Language
-
English
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Dataset Creator
- Metadata Provider
- Metadata Provider
- Associated Party
- Dataset Contact
- Dataset Contact
- Keywords (eLTER Controlled Lists)
-
-
algae
-
fungi
-
- Keywords (Environmental Thesaurus)
-
-
diatoms
-
phytoplankton
-
cyanobacteria
-
macroalgae
-
host-parasite interaction
-
- Keywords (Alien Species Thesaurus)
-
-
Occurrence
-
Parasitism
-
Geographic Coverage
- Geographic Description
-
The geographic distribution of the dataset is defined by a bounding box ranging from latitude 59.92 to longitude -84.51. The collected samples originate from 28 unique locations across seven countries: Finland (n = 4 observations), France (n = 990 observations), Germany (n = 1517 observations), the Netherlands (n = 505 observations), Spain (n = 34 observations), the United Kingdom (n = 1350 observations), and the USA (n = 27 observations).
Bounding Box
- West Bounding Coordinate
-
-84.50989
- East Bounding Coordinate
-
20.9097222
- North Bounding Coordinate
-
59.9208333
- South Bounding Coordinate
-
39.3296944
Bounding Altitudes
- Minimum
-
1197
- Maximum
-
0
- Unit
-
meter
Temporal Coverage
Range of Dates
- Begin Date
-
2007-01-17
- End Date
-
2021-11-03
Taxonomic Coverage
- General Taxonomic Coverage
-
The dataset encompasses 91 unique taxa. The lowest determined taxonomic rank varied among records. The taxonomic description includes 44 taxa identified at the species level, 14 at the genus level, 3 at the family level, 29 at the order level, and 1 unidentified fungal taxon not assignable to any known fungal phylum.
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Algomyces stechlinensis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Amoebophrya
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Anisolpidium rosenvingei
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Family
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Chytridiaceae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Order
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Chytridiales
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Dangeardia mamillata
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Dinomyces arenysensis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Endocoenobium eudorinae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Ericiomyces syringoforeus
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Euduboscquella
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Kingdom
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Fungi
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Halomyces littoreus
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Order
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Lobulomycetales
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Paradinomyces triforaminorum
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Parvilucifera
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Parvilucifera catillosa
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Parvilucifera corolla
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Parvilucifera sinerae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Family
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Parviluciferaceae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Pontisma heterosiphoniae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Pontisma muelleri
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Pontisma pyropiae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Protrudomyces lateralis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Order
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Rhizophydiales
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Sirolpidium bryopsidis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Snorkelia
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Thraustochytrium
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Thraustochytrium kinnei
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Order
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygophlyctidales
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygophlyctis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygophlyctis asterionellae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygophlyctis planktonica
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygorhizidium affluens
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Maranthos nigrum
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Miracula islandica
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Genus
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Tuberlatum
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Dinomyces gilberthii
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Dinovorax pyriformis
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Paradinomyces evelyniae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Staurastromyces oculus
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygophlyctis asterionellae
Taxonomic Classification
- Taxonomic Rank Name
-
Species
- Taxonomic Rank Value
-
Zygorhizidium planktonicum
resourceLicensesLicense Information
- Intellectual Rights
Resource License
- License Name
-
cc-by
Distribution
Online
- A brief description of the the content of online URL.
-
DOI
Online
- A brief description of the the content of online URL.
-
Info and download page on LifeWatch Italy Data Portal
Project
• Project
- Title
-
ParAqua – COST ACTION CA20125
Personnel
Individual Name
- Given Name
-
Serena
- Surname
-
Rasconi
- Organization Name
-
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
- Position Name
-
Researcher
- User ID
-
0000-0001-6667-8904
- Role
-
Principal Investigator
- Abstract
- Funding
Methods
• Method
Method Step
- desciption
-
The data used in this study were sourced from both published works and unpublished observations contributed by ParAqua members. The data collection focused on parasite-host interactions and the presence of parasite species in the environment. The collected data comprise a list of identification of zoosporic parasites of algae collected from natural environments, along with observations of confirmed or putative parasite-host interactions. The identification of the parasitic taxon is based on microscopy observation and/or molecular sequence or inferred by previous literature. Where available, we also recorded additional information, such as the ecosystem type and the geographical context of each observation. For geographic coordinates, the original latitude and longitude were recorded and standardised to decimal coordinates. The coordinates were then manually checked for consistency with the locality reported in the original reference. Additional geographical context information was retrieved where possible. The organism abundance is also reported and retained in its original format, along with details of the methodology used for quantification. The organism quantity was converted into presence/absence data (if the organism quantity is zero, it is marked as “absent”, if greater than zero, it is marked as “present”). The full taxonomy of species—including phylum, class, order, family, and genus—was derived from Van den Wyngaert et al. (2025) and verified for accuracy against internationally recognised taxonomic backbones such as WoRMs, Catalogue of Life and AlgaeBase and manually counterchecked by expert review. The classification of Fungi is aligned with Tedersoo et al. (2018). The original description of the species (i.e. verbatim scientificName) and the coordinates (verbatimCoordinates) are reported in the tables to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. To ensure data interoperability and facilitate reuse, we adopted Darwin Core to standardise terminology and harmonise the collected variables.
Data Tables
• Data Table
- Name
-
table_taxa_ParAqua_publish.csv
Physical
- Object Name
-
table_taxa_ParAqua_publish.csv
- Size
-
27858
- Authentication
-
MD5:5da33fc49686c2abf097f1398e76738a
Data Format
- textFormat
-
1
column
,
Attribute List
Attribute
- Name
-
verbatimIdentification
- Label
-
Verbatim Identification
- Definition
-
Taxonomic identification as recorded in the original source.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
scientificName
- Label
-
Scientific Name
- Definition
-
Lowest taxonomic rank determinable without qualifications.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
acceptedNameUsageID
- Label
-
Accepted Name Usage ID
- Definition
-
Global unique identifier or dataset-specific ID.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
acceptedNameUsage
- Label
-
Accepted Name Usage
- Definition
-
Full name of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) taxon.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
scientificNameAuthorship
- Label
-
Scientific Name Authorship
- Definition
-
Authorship information for the acceptedNameUsage.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
taxonRank
- Label
-
Taxon Rank
- Definition
-
Taxonomic rank of the most specific name.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
kingdom
- Label
-
Kingdom
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the kingdom.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
phylum
- Label
-
Phylum
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the phylum or division.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
class
- Label
-
Class
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the class.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
order
- Label
-
Order
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the order.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
family
- Label
-
Family
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the family.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
genus
- Label
-
Genus
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the genus.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
specificEpithet
- Label
-
Specific Epithet
- Definition
-
Species epithet of the acceptedNameUsage.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
Behavioural trait
- Label
-
Behavioural trait
- Definition
-
Observable behavioral characteristic (e.g., confirmed parasitic, putative parasitic).
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
Behavioural traitReference
- Label
-
Behavioural trait Reference
- Definition
-
Authorship information for the BehaviouralTrait
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
associatedTaxa
- Label
-
Associated Taxa
- Definition
-
List of identifiers/names of taxa associated with the behavioral trait.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
- numberOfRecords
-
91
• Data Table
- Name
-
table_obs_ParAqua_publish.csv
Physical
- Object Name
-
table_obs_ParAqua_publish.csv
- Size
-
1757616
- Authentication
-
MD5:005606d573844e5803ba5db3b52f6a32
Data Format
- textFormat
-
1
column
,
Attribute List
Attribute
- Name
-
catalogNumber
- Label
-
Catalog Number
- Definition
-
Unique identifier for the record within the dataset or collection.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
verbatimEventDate
- Label
-
Verbatim Event Date
- Definition
-
Original representation of the date and time of the observation.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
eventDate
- Label
-
Event Date
- Definition
-
Date-time or interval during which the observation occurred.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
decimalLatitude
- Label
-
Decimal Latitude
- Definition
-
Geographic latitude in decimal degrees.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
decimalLongitude
- Label
-
Decimal Longitude
- Definition
-
Geographic longitude in decimal degrees.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
verbatimLocality
- Label
-
Verbatim Locality
- Definition
-
Original textual description of the location.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
Country
- Label
-
Country
- Definition
-
Name of the country or major administrative unit.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
stateProvince
- Label
-
State Province
- Definition
-
Name of next smaller administrative unit (state, province, region, etc.).
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
occurrenceRemarks
- Label
-
Occurrence Remarks
- Definition
-
Comments or notes about the observation.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
habitat
- Label
-
Habitat
- Definition
-
Description or category of the habitat where the event occurred.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
verbatimDepth
- Label
-
Verbatim Depth
- Definition
-
Original description of depth below local surface.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
organismQuantity
- Label
-
Organism Quantity
- Definition
-
Number of organisms observed.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
organismQuantityType
- Label
-
Organism Quantity Type
- Definition
-
Type of quantification system used.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
occurrenceStatus
- Label
-
Occurrence Status
- Definition
-
Presence/absence statement of a taxon (e.g., present, absent).
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
hostDensity
- Label
-
Host Density
- Definition
-
Number of organisms per unit area or volume.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
Unit
- Label
-
Unit
- Definition
-
Product of at least two base or derived units.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
measurementMethod
- Label
-
Measurement Method
- Definition
-
Description or reference for the method/protocol used.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
verbatimIdentification
- Label
-
Verbatim Identification
- Definition
-
Taxonomic identification as recorded in the original source.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
scientificName
- Label
-
Scientific Name
- Definition
-
Lowest taxonomic rank determinable without qualifications.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
taxonRank
- Label
-
Taxon Rank
- Definition
-
Taxonomic rank of the most specific name.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
kingdom
- Label
-
Kingdom
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the kingdom.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
phylum
- Label
-
Phylum
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the phylum or division.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
class
- Label
-
Class
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the class.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
order
- Label
-
Order
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the order.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
family
- Label
-
Family
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the family.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
genus
- Label
-
Genus
- Definition
-
Scientific name of the genus.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
specificEpithet
- Label
-
Specific Epithet
- Definition
-
Species epithet of the acceptedNameUsage.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
acceptedNameUsage
- Label
-
Accepted Name Usage
- Definition
-
Full name of the currently valid/accepted taxon.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
scientificNameAuthorship
- Label
-
Scientific Name Authorship
- Definition
-
Authorship information for the acceptedNameUsage.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
acceptedNameUsageID
- Label
-
Accepted Name Usage ID
- Definition
-
Global unique identifier or dataset-specific ID.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
Attribute
- Name
-
recordedBy
- Label
-
Recorded By
- Definition
-
Person, group, or organization recording the observation.
Measurement Scale
nominal
nonNumericDomain
textDomain
- Definition
-
Any Text
- numberOfRecords
-
4427
