Monitoring Programmes and Databases

Question 1

Questions in plankton research

Answer 1

Ocean productivity (eutrophication, stratification)
Redistribution of species related to warming
Introduced and invasive species
Ocean acidification
Match-mismatch and fisheries
Changes to biodiversity and ecosystem function
Deoxygenation (spreading OMZs)

Question 2

How to answer the research Qs

Answer 2

Identify trends in the field:
- LT datasets of distribution and abundance
- identify potential abiotic and biotic drivers of trends
Hypothesis testing
- test causation using controlled experiments

Question 3

How and where to get LT data

Answer 3

Monitoring programmes and databases
Plankton data are collected in whole oceans, local transects, to single fixed-point stations

Question 4

Atlantic Meridional Transect

Answer 4

AMT is a multidisciplinary programme.
Unique time series (1995-2020) of observations on the structure and biogeochem properties of planktonic ecosystems.
To validate models addressing the global carbon cycle.
29 cruises
75PhD theses
>300 research papers
4 special issues

Question 5

Continuous Plankton recorder, general

Answer 5

Since 1932
Longest running, most geographically extensive marine survey in the world.
5500 samples every year, 698 taxa.

Question 6

CPR, method

Answer 6

CPR towed at 5-10m depth at speeds of up to 25Kn.
Plankton trapped in 2 bands of silk
Silk divided into 10nm sections for analysis
Light microscopy, flow cytometry, molecular, greenness.

Question 7

CPR, process

Answer 7

Every other sample processed and archived.
Remaining 50% are achived for future analyses
For each CPR standard area data for:
- Phyto colour index
- 800 zoop taxa
- bacteria and viruses

Question 8

CalCOFI

Answer 8

18 day cruise, 75 stations.
Each station includes:
- CTD rosette to 515m
- bongo net with mesh for larger plankton
- manta net for neuston
- pairovet net with 150um mesh for vertical plankton haul, 70m
- Secchi disk
- PP incubations
- bird and mammal observations

Question 9

Bermuda Atlantic Time Series

Answer 9

First deep ocean time series, 1954
Biogeochem in sargasso sea
Samples:
- CTD to 4500m
- discrete samples to 4500m
- day and night zoop and phyto tows
- bacterial and phyto production measurements
- sediment trap and 150, 200, 300m
- underway measures of temp and salinity

Question 10

L4 and E1

Answer 10

L4 weekly, E1 biweekly.
Vertical hauls from 55m
Zoop identifeid
CTD
autonomous buoys

Question 11

Regional networks, ICES WGZE

Answer 11

ICES working group on zoop ecology, monitors zoop sampling activities in N atlantic
Annual zoop status report

Question 12

Open access data systems

Answer 12

Ocean biogeographic Information
COPEPOD
British Oceanographic Data Centre

Question 13

What can we do with all data

Answer 13

Time series data publications
Species distributions and climate
El Nino regime shifts and fisheries
Changes in phenology