Identification

Title

2010 - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Predicting marine phytoplankton community size structure from empirical relationships with remotely sensed variables

Abstract

The size composition of primary producers has a potential influence on the length of marine food chains and carbon sinking rates, thus on the proportion of primary production (PP) that is removed from the upper layers and available to higher trophic levels. While total rates of PP are widely reported, it is also necessary to account for the size composition of primary producers when developing food web models that predict consumer biomass and production. Empirical measurement of size composition over large space and time scales is not feasible, so one approach is to predict size composition from environmental variables that are measured and reported on relevant scales. Here, we describe relationships between the environment and the size composition of phytoplankton communities, using a collation of empirical measurements of size composition from sites that include polar, tropical and upwelling environments. The size composition of the phytoplankton communities can be predicted using two remotely sensed variables, chlorophyll-a concentration and sea surface temperature. Applying such relationships in combination allows prediction of the slope and location of phytoplankton size spectra and estimation of the percentage of different sized phytoplankton groups in communities.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

http://data.cefas.co.uk/#/View/2991/

function: order

Unique resource identifier

code

CEFASe62a70d1-5558-4b05-bc79-b765555b5f0a

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::4030

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2011-03-25

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

1.73881

East bounding longitude

1.74086

North bounding latitude

52.4595

South bounding latitude

52.4581

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2010-05-18

code identifying the extent

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2010

End position

2016-07-14T12:28:10.100

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-07-14

Frequency of update

011

Quality and validity

Lineage

Abundance and species composition were determined for phytoplankton in 361 water samples collected at 12 sites: five transects from 488N to 508S in the Atlantic Ocean, the Benguela upwelling, the Bergen fjord, the Irminger Sea, Long Island Sound, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Oregon upwelling. Subsamples (100 mL) were settled [Utermӧhl technique (Lund et al., 1958)] and individuals counted at the species level with an inverted microscope. Heterotrophic species were excluded from the analysis. Picoplankton was measured using flow cytometry.

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