MOCNESS vs Bongo Net Catchability for Fish Eggs and Larvae

331 paired stations on Georges Bank during 1996 and 1997 were used to compare the 0.61-m Bongo and 1-m2 MOCNESS samplers. Catches of larvae from the MOCNESS were 3 to 5 times greater than those from the Bongo, with significant differences found for 14 of 22 dominant taxa. Meteorological and sea surface parameters were also recorded during 67 US GLOBEC cruises to the region from 1995-1999.

Use Cases

• Calibrating historical plankton survey data based on documented gear efficiency differences.
• Modeling gear effects on catch composition for specific fish taxa.
• Analyzing diel patterns in ichthyoplankton abundance using paired station data.
• Correlating plankton catches with continuous meteorological and sea surface observations.

Strengths

• Direct comparison of two standard samplers across 331 paired stations provides a robust benchmark.
• Analysis includes a large number of taxa (22 dominant) with statistical modeling of gear effects.
• Temporal coverage spans multiple years (1995-1999) and includes continuous environmental data.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as column names, row counts, and specific data formats are missing from all sources.
• Conflicting or unclear update dates exist (1999 vs 2026), raising questions about data currency.
• The dataset's primary focus is a specific region (Georges Bank) and time period, limiting broader geographic applicability.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Paired station analysis during US GLOBEC program cruises.

Time Range

1995-1999

Freshness

2026-03-14 22:48:08.150933

Geography

Georges Bank