Western Beaufort Sea Zooplankton Community Analysis from 1971

1240 records covering 34 taxonomic categories detail the zooplankton community structure of the Western Beaufort Sea. The data was collected by the United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit during the WEBSEC-71 cruise from August to mid-September 1971. Analysis investigated relationships within the plankton community and with oceanographic variables like salinity and temperature.

Use Cases

• Cluster species absence/presence data to analyze vertical migration patterns and community structure.
• Correlate species distribution categories with recorded hydrographic factors like salinity and temperature.
• Model species abundance as a function of environmental variables such as ice cover and temperature.
• Validate ecosystem theories for the Western Beaufort Sea using the 34 taxonomic category records.

Strengths

• 1240 enumerated records provide a basis for statistical analysis.
• Data covers 34 distinct taxonomic categories for community-level study.
• Sampling occurred over a defined spatial and temporal range (August-September 1971, 70-72°N, 143.5-154.5°W).

Limitations

• Data is from a single cruise in 1971, limiting temporal analysis and modern applicability.
• Specific column names and measurement units are unknown, complicating direct reuse.
• The 1240 records may represent aggregated samples rather than individual organism counts.

Provenance

Source

United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit, SCIOPS, extrapolated from a University of Rhode Island thesis (1977).

Collection Method

Field sampling from the WEBSEC-71 cruise, followed by laboratory enumeration and identification.

Time Range

August to mid-September 1971.

Freshness

1971-09-16

Geography

Western Beaufort Sea, from 143.5° to 154.5° West longitude between 70° and 72° North latitude.