BGS Hosted Metadata
Epi- and mesopelagic mesozooplankton depth-discrete distribution and abundance between Greenland and Svalbard (2018 and 2019)
Mesozooplankton were collected with a MOCNESS net system during the oceanographic cruise JR17005 (May and June 2018) and JR18007 (August 2019). The MOCNESS comprised 9 separate nets which opened in sequence such that the closing of one net opened the next; net 1 was open during the descent of the net to its maximum depth (about 1000 m) while the remaining 8 depths opened at regular intervals during the reascent to the surface. Catches were immediately preserved in 4 percent buffered formaldehyde after division by a Folsom splitter into either 0.5 or 0.25 fractions. Identification of taxa was performed by Continuous Plankton Recorder survey analysts at the Marine Biological Association UK, led by Marianne Wootton. Specimens were categorised to the lowest possible taxonomic level, which, in some cases, encompassed developmental stages but, in other cases, was limited to higher order taxa. Each taxa was enumerated to determine abundance with the preserved fraction of the catch. These were scaled up to the whole catch and divided by the volume filtered of the respective net to determine abundance in units of individuals m-3. These values were also multiplied by the sampled depth interval to derive the alternative unit of individuals m-2. The samples from three net deployments were analysed from both JR17005 and JR18005 in approximately matching locations between Greenland and Svalbard, encompassing the Fram Strait. The dataset allows examination of the distribution and abundance of these species across the region in two separate years, with the first year covering early summer and the second year, late summer.
Financial support for was provided by Changing Arctic Ocean (CAO) Programme DIAPOD, funded by UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; NE/P006213/1, NE/P006353/1, NE/P006302/1, NE/P006183/1,and NE/P005985/1, amongst others), and by CAO Project
CHASE, jointly funded by NERC (NE/R012733/1) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; 03F0803A).
Simple
- Date (Creation)
- 2026-01-26
- Date (Revision)
- 2026-01-26
- Date (Publication)
- 2026-01-26
- Date (released)
- 2026-01-26
- Edition
-
1.0
- Unique resource identifier
- https://doi.org/10.5285/69eb8320-9d2b-4cc1-818a-83d14c15c491
- Codespace
-
doi
- Unique resource identifier
- GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02142
- Codespace
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/P006213/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/P006353/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/P006302/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/P006183/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/P005985/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Unique resource identifier
- NE/R012733/1
- Codespace
-
award
- Other citation details
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Please cite this item as: Tarling, G.A., Mayor, D.J., Atherden, F., Jenkins, H.E., Castellani, C., Belcher, A., Freer, J.J., Grigor, J., Stowasser, G., Hunter, A., Conway, D., & Pond, D. (2026). Epi- and mesopelagic mesozooplankton depth-discrete distribution and abundance between Greenland and Svalbard (2018 and 2019) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/69eb8320-9d2b-4cc1-818a-83d14c15c491
- Credit
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No credit.
- Status
- Completed
- Point of contact
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Organisation name Individual name Electronic mail address Role British Antarctic Survey Tarling, Geraint A. Author University of Exeter Mayor, Daniel J. Author British Antarctic Survey Atherden, Florence Author University of Southampton Jenkins, Holly E. Author Plymouth Marine Laboratory Castellani, Claudia Author British Antarctic Survey Belcher, Anna Author British Antarctic Survey Freer, Jennifer J. Author Scottish Association For Marine Science Grigor, Jordan Author British Antarctic Survey Stowasser, Gabriele Author British Antarctic Survey Hunter, Aidan Author Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom Conway, David Author University of Stirling Pond, David Author NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre Point of contact
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
- Maintenance note
- Completed
- Theme
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Amphipods
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Chaetognaths
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Copepods
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Euphausiids
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Polychaetes
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- Place
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Greenland Arctic
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Svalbard Arctic
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
- Access constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- no limitations to public access
- Access constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- no limitations
- Use constraints
- License
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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Data are supplied under Open Government Licence v.3
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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None.
- Unique resource identifier
- url
- Codespace
-
url
- Association Type
- Cross reference
- Unique resource identifier
- url
- Codespace
-
url
- Association Type
- Larger work citation
- Unique resource identifier
- url
- Codespace
-
url
- Association Type
- Larger work citation
- Unique resource identifier
- doi
- Codespace
-
doi
- Association Type
- Cross reference
- Unique resource identifier
- doi
- Codespace
-
doi
- Association Type
- Cross reference
- Spatial representation type
- Text, table
- Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Topic category
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- Biota
- Environment
- Oceans
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- Begin date
- 2018-05-16
- End date
- 2018-05-31
- Supplemental Information
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It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data, and that the author be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors or omissions, please report them to polardatacentre@bas.ac.uk.
- Title
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European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) Geodetic Parameter Registry
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-11-12
- Cited responsible party
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Organisation name Individual name Electronic mail address Role European Petroleum Survey Group
Publisher
- Unique resource identifier
- urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::3031
- Version
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6.18.3
Distributor
- Distributor contact
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Organisation name Individual name Electronic mail address Role NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre Distributor
- Distributor format
-
Name Version text/csv
- Units of distribution
-
bytes
- Transfer size
- 120832
- OnLine resource
-
Protocol Linkage Name WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
http://ramadda.data.bas.ac.uk/repository/entry/show?entryid=69eb8320-9d2b-4cc1-818a-83d14c15c491 Get Data
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
- Statement
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Methodology:
Data were gathered during two oceanographic cruises (JR17005, JR18007) aboard the RRS James Clark Ross to the region between Greenland and Svalbard, encompassing the Fram Strait. The cruises took place between 8/5/2018 to 8/6/2018 (JR17005) and 4/8/2019 to 29/8/2019 (JR18007). Depth discrete mesozooplankton samples to a maximum depth of about 1000 m were collected by a MOCNESS net system (1m2 opening area, 330 µm meshes) at a number of locations in the region, of which three were analysed for the present dataset. The MOCNESS comprised 9 separate nets which opened in sequence such that the closing of one net opened the next; net 1 was open during the descent of the net to its maximum depth (about 1000 m) while the remaining 8 depths opened at regular intervals (about every 125 m) during the reascent to the surface (minimum depth 5m). The exception was Event 18 on JR17005 where the maximum depth was 1200 m and depth interval, 150 m. Samples were split by a Folsom splitter and the subsequent fractions preserved. Either 0.5 or 0.25 of the sample was preserved in buffered 4% formalin while another fraction was preserved in 96% ethanol. Taxa were identified in the formalin preserved samples through examination by light microscopy by analysts at the Marine Biological Association UK, led by Marianne Wootton. Note that net 1 (0-1000 m) was not considered for taxonomic analysis. The abundance of each taxa within a sample was determined through examining a known fraction of the sample and then making an inverse multiplication of that fraction. Volumetric abundances (individuals m-3) were determined through dividing sample abundance by the volume of water sampled by the respective net. Net volume was mainly derived through a calibrated flow meter or, if that failed, through multiplying the net opening diameter by average speed of the vessel during hauling. This calculation assumes 100% net sampling efficiency and no avoidance. Values in units of individuals m-2 were also calculated through multiplying volumetric abundances by the respective depth interval (in m).
The following personnel were involved in the collection of this data: Bjørg Apeland, Gareth Flint and Carwyn Davies serviced and helped to operate the MOCNESS net. Geraint Tarling, Dan Mayor, Florence Atherden, Holly Jenkins, Claudia Castellani, Anna Belcher, Jennifer Freer, Jordan Grigor, Gabi Stowasser, Aidan Hunter, David Conway and David Pond helped in deploying the net and preserving the samples. Taxonomic analyses were performed by Continuous Plankton Survey analysts at the Marine Biological Association, UK led by Marianne Wootton. Geraint Tarling, Katy Buckland, Amena Boyd and Petra ten Hoopen prepared the data for publication. Geraint Tarling wrote the metadata.
Data collection:
1. A MOCNESS net system (1m2 mouth diameter, 330um meshes)
2. Sample splitting apparatus (Folsom splitter)
3. Binocular light microscope
Data quality:
All species were identified according to the taxonomic guides available at time of analysis and the user must be aware that some species names may have since been updated.
The value 0 represents an instance where the taxon was actively looked for but no specimens were present in the sample.
In 4 instances, the analyst found pieces of a particular organism but not a whole specimen, i.e. only remnants were present. These were given the symbol ",+" in the 'N per net' file. They were assigned a value of 0 in the 'N m-3' and 'N m-2' file.
Metadata
- File identifier
- 69eb8320-9d2b-4cc1-818a-83d14c15c491 XML
- Metadata language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
- Hierarchy level name
-
dataset
- Date stamp
- 2026-01-26
- Metadata standard name
-
ISO 19115 Geographic Information - Metadata
- Metadata standard version
-
ISO 19115:2003(E)
- Metadata author
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Organisation name Individual name Electronic mail address Role NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre Point of contact
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