The BenBioDen database, a global database for meio-, macro- and megabenthic biomass and densities

Benthic fauna refers to all fauna that live in or on the seafloor, which
researchers typically divide into size classes meiobenthos (32/
64 µm – 0.5/ 1 mm), macrobenthos (250  µm –
1 cm), and megabenthos (> 1 cm). Benthic fauna
play important roles in bioturbation activity, mineralization of organic
matter, and in marine food webs. Evaluating their role in these ecosystem
functions requires knowledge of their global distribution and biomass. We
therefore established the BenBioDen database, the largest open-access
database for marine benthic biomass and density data compiled so far. In
total, it includes 11,792 georeferenced benthic biomass and 51,559 benthic
density records from 384 and 600 studies, respectively. We selected all
references following the procedure for systematic reviews and
meta-analyses, and report biomass records as grams of wet mass, dry mass,
or ash-free dry mass, or carbon per m2 and as abundance records as
individuals per m2. This database provides a point of reference for future
studies on the distribution and biomass of benthic fauna.