Identification

Title

1976 - 1976 Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) West Central North Sea Plankton Survey - RV Corella 03/76

Abstract

Second in a series of 12 cruises in 1976 to investigate the distribution and abundance of planktonic fish eggs and larvae, zooplankton predators and competitors and phytoplankton. Plankton samples were collected at each site on a planned survey grid. This data consists of numbers of macroplankton from 9 of the samples collected from an area off the North East coast of England, along with associated positional data and volumes filtered.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/2517/

function: order

Unique resource identifier

code

CEFAS41d10fd0-94fd-4295-b3cd-e1c3c7f70c75

codeSpace

http://www.cefas.co.uk/

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

authority code

OGP

code identifying the spatial reference system

urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

SeaDataNet P021 parameter discovery vocabulary

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2011-03-25

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

GEMET, version 1.0

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-2

East bounding longitude

4

North bounding latitude

56.5

South bounding latitude

52.5

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-05-18

code identifying the extent

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

1976-02-18

End position

1976-02-29

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-07-14

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

**Sample collection:** A grid of stations were worked based on the ICES statistical rectangles over the area from north Norfolk to 56̊N and to longitude 2̊E. Sampling points were 18 nautical miles apart longitudinally and along latitude lines 15 nautical miles apart. In the centre of this grid, to the north of the River Humber and to the south of the River Tyne, intermediate sampling points 9 nautical miles apart were designated; this central part constituted the main priority plankton sampling grid. This survey grid was worked on twelve cruises between the end of January and the beginning of November. Seven cruises were planned for the first four months to sample cod and plaice spawnings, while the remainder, at approximately monthly intervals, were to sample summer- and autumn-spawning fish. The sampling gear used for the main surveys was the Lowestoft multipurpose plankton sampler. This sampler consists of a 30 inch (76 cm) diameter fibreglass tube enclosing a conical nylon filtering net, 185 cm long. The mesh of the net has an aperture of 270 µm and a porosity of 46%. Water enters the net via a hemispherical nose cone with an opening of 16 inches (40.6 cm) diameter giving a 7: 1 ratio of open area of net to sampler mouth opening. The main sampler net was used to collect fish eggs and larvae and other macroplankton (particle size > 300 µm) including edible crab larvae. Two accessory samplers were mounted on the body of the main sampler, each one made up of a 6 inch (15 cm) diameter PVC tube with a metal nose cone with a 2 inch (5.1 cm) aperture. Each accessory sampler contained a conical nylon filtering net, 147 cm long, of mesh aperture 35 µm and porosity 16% in one sampler, and 61 µm and 26% respectively in the other. These accessory samplers were used to collect the smaller zooplankton and large diatoms and dinoflagellates. An electromechanical flowmeter was fitted in the nose cone of the main sampler and standard mechanical flowmeters at the rear of each accessory sampler. An additional mechanical flowmeter was mounted on the outside of the main sampler, operating continuously in free stream. The sampler was operated over the stern of the vessel at a towing speed of *5* knots. A Scripps depressor on a 30 cm strop was attached to the underside of the sampler immediately behind the nose cone. By paying out and hauling the cable at a constant speed, the sampler performed a shallow, oblique dive to within 2 m of the sea bed and back to the surface, thus providing an equivalent sample of each part of the water column. The samples collected at sea by the main net and by the two auxillary samplers were each washed carefully from the net into the collecting bag on the end of the net. The sample was then transferred to a glass storage jar, labelled and fixed by the addition of 40% sodium acetate buffered formalin, in the ratio one part fixative to nine parts sample plus seawater. **Sample analysis** : Whenever practicable, the whole main net sample was sorted for fish eggs and larvae. Sub-sampling was limited to those samples containing exceptionally large numbers of eggs or larvae.

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Public data (Crown Copyright) - Open Government Licence Terms and Conditions apply

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Public data (Crown Copyright) - Open Government Licence Terms and Conditions apply

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

Data Manager

organisation name

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science

full postal address

Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory

Pakefield Road

Lowestoft

NR33 0HT

UK

telephone number

+44 (0)1502 562244

email address

data.manager@cefas.co.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2016-07-14T12:28:23

Metadata language

eng