Continuous Plankton Recorder Database: current uses and future directions Darren Stevens & Anthony J. Richardson Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

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

Topics of Discussion n The CPR Survey n CPR data n Data Storage and Access n Products n Data usage n Further Developments

The CPR Survey

n The CPR collects plankton over large spatial scales n capable of operating at high speeds (>20 knots) n needs a minimum of attention (robust) n designed for ships of opportunity

Some SAHFOS Ships of Opportunity

CPR sampling n Over 5 million miles sampled n Phytoplankton Colour n Phytoplankton n zooplankton

CPR data

Number of records n 196,120 samples analysed n Plankton counted on every other sample n 2,332,114 -positive plankton entries n 450 species n Total plankton entries ~90,000,000

Environmental data n Almost 1/2 CPR routes instrumented n Temperature, Salinty, Chlorophll n Average temperature per sample

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

Information stored n Sample u Latitude and Longitude of the midpoint of the sample u Local time of the midpoint of the sample u Name of the scientist that counted the plankton

Data Storage and Access n History n Policy n Access via web and OBIS

History

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

Data requests & funding

Web Access & OBIS n Standard Areas PCI and Calanus finmarchicus n Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)

Products n SAHFOS WinCPR n CPR Atlas

SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

n Monthly sample distribution maps for 1948 & 1997

SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0 n Diatom, (Chaetoceros) monthly distribution during 1997

SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0 n Annual abundance of C. finmarchicus in 1958 & 1997

SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

Digital CPR Atlas n Calanus helgolandicus ( ) n Maps demostrate change in geographical range

Digital CPR Atlas n Metridia lucens ( ) n Maps demostrate diel vertical migration

Data Usage

Who is using the data n Canada n France n Germany n Iceland n Italy n The Netherlands n Norway n Portugal n Republic of Ireland n South Africa n Spain n Sweden n UK n USA

Data requests & funding

Publications using CPR data

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

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

The CPR database n Further auxillary information u Height of tow point u Length of wire u Microscope number u Location of Sample

SAHFOS WinCPR v2.0 n Extend time series n Include further environmental variables u SST, Cloud Cover, Wind Speed, Salinity n Extend geographical area n Use Lambert co-ordinates n Improved gridding method

Data available via the web n User-defined area for abundance data n Summary statistics u Number of Samples per month u Monthly Mean Phytoplankton Colour Index data n Raw sample data n Metadata on species

Environmental data n Sea Surface Temperature n Cloud Cover n Wind Speed n Salinity

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

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

Continuous Plankton Recorder Database: current uses and future directions Darren Stevens Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science