Phytoplankton Data Collected During CPR Tows of the Southern Ocean - Australian Antarctic Division Copy

Data are "phytoplankton counts" for each phytoplankton taxon observed, from the CPR samples collected by the Southern Ocean CPR Survey projects 472 and 4107 (Hosie et al. 2003). The SAHFOS on-silk phytoplankton count method is used (Batten et al. 2003). Phytoplankton are identified to the best taxonomic level possible, ideally to species or at least genus, in 20 fields of view (295 plus or minus 10 microns) per sample (section of silk). See Figure 2 of Batten et al. (2003). Each sample usually represents 5 nautical miles for SO-CPR. The "phytoplankton count" is the number of fields of view where a phytoplankton species/ taxon was observed, recorded for each taxon for each sample. It is effectively a frequency of occurrence score.

The CPR is a device towed at normal ship speed, approximately 100 m behind the ship at a depth of 8-10 m. Plankton enter a small aperture 12.7 x 12.7 mm which then expands into a tunnel 100 x 50 mm reducing the speed by about 1/30. Plankton are then sandwiched between two sheets of 270 micron silk gauze, before rolling into a preservation tank of formaldehyde. Each tow is approximately 450 nautical miles. Regardless of ship speed the silk advances at a fixed rate of about 1 cm per nautical mile. Silks are cut into 5 nautical mile equivalent lengths and both phyto- an zooplankton are counted. Each sample is coded with time and date (GMT) and latitude and Longitude, plus averaged environmental data over the 5 nautical miles, e.g. water temperature, salinity, fluorescence, light. Zooplankton data and methods are described in Metadata record AADC-00099.

Abbreviations

CPR, Continuous Plankton Recorder

SAHFOS, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

SO-CPR , Southern Ocean CPR Survey

Identification info

Alternate title: Phytoplankton Data Collected During CPR Tows of the Southern Ocean - Australian Antarctic Division Copy

Date (Publication): 2013-01-21

Edition: 1

Originator

Hosie, G. and McLeod, D.

Publisher

Australian Antarctic Data Centre

Principal investigator

HOSIE (Retired), GRAHAM

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

Collaborator

HOSIE (Retired), GRAHAM

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

Collaborator

MCLEOD, DAVID

CSIRO

Castray Esplanade

Hobart

Tasmania

7001

Australia

Name: CAASM Metadata

Website: https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/ASAC_4107_Phytoplankton

Status: On going

Custodian

AU/AADC > Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia - AADC, DATA OFFICER (DATA CENTER CONTACT)

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

+61 3 6232 3244

+61 3 6232 3351 (facsimile)

Topic category

Biota
Oceans

Extent

Description: Temporal Coverage

Temporal extent

TimePeriod: 2008-01-22

Title: CPR Sampling: the technical background, materials and methods, consistency and comparability.

Date (Publication): 2003

Citation identifier: 58

Author

Batten, S.D., Clark, R., Flinkman, J., Hays, G., John, E., John, A.W.G., Jonas, T., Lindley, J.A., Stevens. D.P., Walne, A.

Name: Progress in Oceanography

Issue identification: 2-4

Page: 193-215

Title: Development of the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey.

Date (Publication): 2003

Citation identifier: 58

Author

Hosie, G.W., Fukuchi, M. and Kawaguchi, S.

Name: Progress in Oceanography

Issue identification: 2-4

Page: 263-283