Continuous Plankton Recorder Database: current uses and future directions

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Continuous Plankton Recorder Database current
uses and future directions

• Darren Stevens
• Anthony J. Richardson
• Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
• Email dpst_at_sahfos.ac.uk

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Introduction

• Wealth of data available
• Access vs Accessibility to data
• Attracting people to use your data
• Produce further research

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Topics of Discussion

• The CPR Survey
• CPR data
• Data Storage and Access
• Products
• Data usage
• Further Developments

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The CPR Survey
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• The CPR collects plankton over large spatial
  scales
• capable of operating at high speeds (gt20 knots)
• needs a minimum of attention (robust)
• designed for ships of opportunity

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Some SAHFOS Ships of Opportunity
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CPR sampling 1946-2003

• Over 5 million miles sampled
• Phytoplankton Colour
• Phytoplankton
• zooplankton

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CPR data
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Number of records

• 196,120 samples analysed
• Plankton counted on every other sample
• 2,332,114 -positive plankton entries
• 450 species
• Total plankton entries 90,000,000

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Environmental data

• Almost 1/2 CPR routes instrumented
• Temperature, Salinty, Chlorophll
• Average temperature per sample

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Information stored

• Extensive auxillary information stored
• Route
• Name and average speed of ship
• Latitude and Longitude of deployment, retrievel
  and course changes
• ID CPR and Internal Mechanism
• Impellor angle of the CPR

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Information stored

• Sample
• Latitude and Longitude of the midpoint of the
  sample
• Local time of the midpoint of the sample
• Name of the scientist that counted the plankton

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Data Storage and Access

• History
• Policy
• Access via web and OBIS

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History
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History
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History
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History
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History
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History
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Data Policy

• Compliant with GOOS
• Free access to Monthly and Annual Mean data
• Visit Plymouth, UK to access raw data

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Data requests funding
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Web Access OBIS

• Standard Areas PCI and Calanus finmarchicus
• Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)

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Products

• SAHFOS WinCPR
• CPR Atlas

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SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0
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SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

• Monthly sample distribution maps for 1948 1997

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SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

• Diatom, (Chaetoceros) monthly distribution during
  1997

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SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

• Annual abundance of C. finmarchicus in 1958 1997

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SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0
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Digital CPR Atlas

• Maps demostrate change in geographical range

• Calanus helgolandicus (1958 -1999)

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Digital CPR Atlas

• Metridia lucens (1958 -1999)

• Maps demostrate diel vertical migration

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Data Usage
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Who is using the data

• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Iceland
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Norway

• Portugal
• Republic of Ireland
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sweden
• UK
• USA

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Data requests funding
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Publications using CPR data
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Further developments

• Redesigning the database
• Further developments of WinCPR
• Web Access
• Environmental data

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The CPR database

• Decrease time taken to release data
• Phytoplankton Colour data early release and
  available for all samples
• Improved user-interface
• Better information provided for quality control

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The CPR database

• Further auxillary information
• Height of tow point
• Length of wire
• Microscope number
• Location of Sample

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SAHFOS WinCPR v2.0

• Extend time series
• Include further environmental variables
• SST, Cloud Cover, Wind Speed, Salinity
• Extend geographical area
• Use Lambert co-ordinates
• Improved gridding method

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Data available via the web

• User-defined area for abundance data
• Summary statistics
• Number of Samples per month
• Monthly Mean Phytoplankton Colour Index data
• Raw sample data
• Metadata on species

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Environmental data

• Sea Surface Temperature
• Cloud Cover
• Wind Speed
• Salinity

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Conclusions

• Data on demand is desirable
• Tools to provide easy accessibility
• Data available to a wider audience

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Finally

• Improved data storage
• Efficient access
• Increased use
• Further research
• Financial stabilty
• Continuation of the survey

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Continuous Plankton Recorder Database current
uses and future directions

• Darren Stevens
• Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
• Email dpst_at_sahfos.ac.uk