Deep Sea ID v1.2 is a unique visual identification guide to deep-sea species available as an app for iOS (download) and Android (download) devices.
The app is a field guide interface to the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS) that currently stores on your device (for offline access) the taxonomic information for over 25,000 deep-sea species, over 580 high-resolution photographs of deep-sea species as well as links to online taxonomic tools, sources and important references.
The app is designed to improve access to taxonomic information for researchers and contractors working at sea, in the field or in the laboratory as well as educators and science communicators who wish to learn more about the remarkable diversity of deep-sea life.
The app will be updated on a regular basis with the addition of new species, images and taxonomic resources from WoRDSS. Please consider contributing to the WoRDSS project.< /p>
We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the International Network for Scientific Investigation of Deep-Sea Ecosystems (INDEEP).
The taxonomic information held in the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS) is sourced directly from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). WoRMS is managed by an international Steering Committee, a Board of Editors and the IT team at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Belgium. Both the WoRMS and WoRDSS websites are hosted at VLIZ.
Deep Sea ID is project managed by Dr Adrian Glover (Natural History Museum, London, UK), Dr Nicholas Higgs (University of Plymouth, UK) and Dr Tammy Horton (National Oceanography Centre, UK).
Deep Sea ID is published by the Natural History Museum, London with the iOS software development by Heathwest Systems Ltd.
We welcome contributions and corrections. Further information including details on how to contribute new images are available on the WoRDSS website.
Glover, A.G., Higgs, N.D, Horton, T., Porrer, A. (2015) Deep Sea ID v.1.2 A Field Guide to the Marine Life of the Deep Sea http://www.marinespecies.org/deepsea
There are three main ways of navigating the large dataset included in this app:
Tip: if you are trying to identify a species (e.g in an ROV control room), browse to the highest taxon you think it might be (e.g fish), and go to Slideshow mode. Swipe through images until you see something similar to your organism. Tap on the picture to see details. Tap on Path to see where you are in the taxonomic classification. Tap at any level in the path to jump to a higher level (e.g a family). Tap on slideshow to see all the images in that family.