SEA3 Plankton Ecology Report for the North Sea, 20th Century

North Sea plankton community composition and fluctuations from the latter half of the 20th Century, documented in a UK government technical report. The study is based on a unique long-term dataset of plankton abundance acquired by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). The report discusses phytoplankton, zooplankton, normal annual blooms, and harmful algal blooms.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in phytoplankton and zooplankton communities based on the Continuous Plankton Recorder dataset mentioned in the description
• Study the response of plankton populations to environmental change and climatic variability as discussed in the report
• Investigate harmful algal bloom (HAB) frequency and potential drivers like eutrophication referenced in the description
• Model food web dynamics based on the importance of copepods as a major food resource for commercial fish species

Strengths

• Based on a unique long-term dataset from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR)
• Provides an overview of plankton community composition and fluctuations over a multi-decade period
• Discusses specific plankton groups like dinoflagellates, diatoms, copepods, and their ecological roles

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The report notes that picoplankton and megaplankton (e.g., jellyfish) are poorly sampled by the CPR method

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service, originating from the UK Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change)

Collection Method

Analysis based on data acquired by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR)

Time Range

Latter half of the 20th Century

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified

Geography

North Sea and North Atlantic