1994 Irish Sea Plankton Survey: Ichthyoplankton and Zooplankton Counts

April-May 1994 plankton analysis data from a survey in the Irish Sea conducted by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas). The data consists of counts of fish eggs, larvae, and zooplankton collected via high-speed towed nets and a Longhurst Hardy Plankton Recorder, along with positional and water volume information.

Use Cases

• Analyze copepod transport patterns into the Irish Sea based on plankton population and hydrographic structure survey aims.
• Study fish egg and larval distributions based on ichthyoplankton sampling.
• Model plankton abundance based on counts from different collection gears (HSTN and LHPR).
• Correlate plankton data with environmental conditions based on associated positional and water volume filtered data.

Strengths

• Data is focused on a specific, well-defined research cruise with clear aims stated in the description.
• Includes multiple sampling methods (high-speed towed nets and a Longhurst Hardy Plankton Recorder), which may allow for methodological comparison.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect temporal and geographic bias inherent to a single survey in April-May 1994.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), aggregated via Government Digital Service on eu_open_data.

Collection Method

Collected via plankton surveys using high-speed towed nets and a Longhurst Hardy Plankton Recorder.

Time Range

April 19 to May 11, 1994.

Freshness

Historical; data from a specific survey in 1994.

Geography

Irish Sea, from the Malin Shelf to the North Channel.