Abstract:
A yearlong study of the zooplankton biomass and the abundance, vertical distribution, life stage proportions, and body size and condition for five target copepod species (Calanus glacialis, C. hyperboreus, Metridia longa, Microcalanus pygmaeus, Oithona similis) was conducted from October 1997 to October 1998 in the Western Arctic Ocean. The research was staged from Ice Station SHEBA that drifted ... from Canadian Basin over the Northwind Ridge and Chukchi Plateau and back over the Basin during this period. Four hydrographic regimes were surveyed during the period of the study. Zooplankton biomass was least over the basin during the fall and winter and greatest over the Chukchi Plateau during summer, with most biomass in the 200 to 1500m depth interval except during summer when greatest biomass was present in the upper 200 m. The five copepod species followed two general life history strategies: (1) sustained reproduction with all life stages present throughout the year and constant depth distribution (M. longa, M. pygmaeus, O. similis) and (2) pulsed reproduction with overlapping cohorts present and ontogenetic redistribution of preferred depths through the year (C. glacialis, C. hyperboreus). Body size and condition did not demonstrate consistent temporal or regional patterns. Based on population age structure, both C. hyperboreus and C. glacialis were reproducing in the Arctic Ocean. However, extremely low abundances of C. glacialis suggested that this species may not be self-sustaining in the Arctic Ocean. Plankton biomass was consistent with that observed in recent studies and supported an emerging paradigm of a more productive Arctic Ocean than traditionally believed. This dataset has 7484 rows, and is 6MB in size (PC Excel sheet).
Purpose:
To describe the patterns of distribution and biomass of zooplankton in the western Arctic Ocean.
Quality
ATTRIBUTE ACCURACY REPORT: The animals counts were done according to convention: sorting under a stereo microscope after preservations. Environmental data were taken with unknown accuracy, but best available method used. Geographical positions taken from ship log before deploying the net.
LOGICAL CONSISTENCY REPORT: The same procedures were used at all ... sites and for all species; findings should be consistent.
COMPLETENESS REPORT: Mesh size used: 333 µm. Thickness of sampled layer: from the bottom to the top in three depth increments bottom-25 m, 25-10 m and 10 m surface. Abundance computed for each taxa per sample as a number of specimens divided by volume of filtered water (estimated by multiplying the net mouth area by tow depth).
HORIZONTAL POSITIONAL ACCURACY REPORT: nearest second
PROCESS DESCRIPTION: 1. Change title from "Annual cycle in abundance, distribution, and size in relation to hydrography of important copepod species in the western Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)" . 2. Update v1 to v2 3. Add AOOS Data Management keywords
PROCESS DESCRIPTION: applicable since fully explained in Methodology: see above
These data present a snapshot in time, but are representative for the location and depth where collected. Identification is done where applicable and known; different taxonomies might result into different species names.
Access Constraints
None
Use Constraints
These data cannot be redistributed to third parties.
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at ArcOD, the University of Alaska, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. ... This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from a University of Alaska server, and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. The University of Alaska shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.
Graham, C. H., S. Ferrier, F. Huettmann, C. Moritz and A.T. Peterson 2004 New developments in museum-based informatics and applications in biodiversity analysis. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 19: 497-503
Hopky, G.E., Lawrence, M.J., Chiperzak, D.B. 1994 NOGAP B2; Zooplankton Data from the Canadian Beaufort Sea Shelf, 1984 and 1985. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences:912.
Carin J. Ashjian, Robert G. Campbell, Harold E. Welch, Mari Butler,Donna Van Keuren. Annual cycle in abundance, distribution, and size in relation to hydrography of important copepod species in the western Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) Deep Sea Research 50: 1235-1261
