FOODBANCS 1 project data details benthic macrofauna retained on a 300-micrometer sieve from box core samples. Samples were collected during five research cruises between 1999 and 2001 at three stations along the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf. The project and data collection are described in Smith et al. (2008).
Use Cases
- Analyze macrofaunal community composition using species counts and size classes from sieved samples.
- Correlate benthic biomass data with seasonal particulate organic carbon flux measurements from the FOODBANCS project.
- Compare faunal abundance and diversity metrics across the three sampled stations on the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf.
- Model population dynamics of specific macrofaunal taxa over the five sampling cruises from 1999 to 2001.
Strengths
- Data collected from a targeted, multi-year polar research project with five dedicated cruises.
- Samples processed using a standardized 300-micrometer sieve methodology for consistency.
Limitations
- Sample size is limited to three geographic stations, restricting broad spatial inference.
- Data is temporally stale, with collection ending over two decades ago in 2001.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS, as part of the FOODBANCS 1 project.
- Collection Method
- Box core samples collected from the seafloor, sorted, and macrofauna retained on a 300-micrometer sieve.
- Time Range
- 1999-2001
- Geography
- Three stations along the West Antarctic Peninsula shelf.