Faunistic collections of demersal and benthic species from Mauritania

Thousands of invertebrates and fishes were collected and preserved throughout the Maurit surveys, and are currently part of the biological reference collections of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). Almost 800 specimens (567 lots of 365 species) have already been catalogued in the Marine Fauna Collection (IEO Málaga, Spain), and 250 specimens (135 lots of 64 species) in the Decapoda and Stomatopoda Crustacean Collection (IEO Cádiz, Spain). Thousands of lots are still waiting to be catalogued at the IEO Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), and around 13,300 specimens (3015 lots of 360 species) have been identified and preserved in the invertebrate collections of the Marine Zoology Laboratory at the University of Vigo, where 1257 lots are pending final identification. This collection is the largest and most important natural archive of biodiversity of Mauritanian deep-water fauna, and has enabled molecular genetic analyses, biogeographic studies, resolution of issues concerning the description of communities and assemblages, and the discovery of new species and new records. Natural collections are extremely beneficial to society: they provide further knowledge on biodiversity and are essential for understanding current biological and ecological challenges. Extremely rare or invaluable samples, such as those from the marine deep ecosystems in our study, are made available to researchers. Accessibility to specimens and to their online datasets through collaborative worldwide biodiversity networks is vital for the best use of collections, which must be maintained and further strengthened by scientific institutions.