Phytoplankton Profiles and Plankton Abundance from DeSoto Canyon Cruise

Scanning electron microscopy enabled taxonomic identification of diatoms, coccolithophores, and armored dinoflagellates to the lowest possible category for quantitative profiles at five sites. The dataset combines these detailed cell counts with broader plankton net tows that categorize 12 groups, including harmful algal bloom genera like Dinophysis and Ceratium. Data collection occurred over three days in October 2012 aboard the R/V Bellows at nine stations off the Florida Panhandle.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical phytoplankton community structure based on quantitative profiles from Niskin bottle samples.
• Studying the distribution of harmful algal bloom species like Dinophysis spp. relative to environmental CTD data.
• Comparing taxonomic resolution between net-tow abundance data and SEM-based quantitative profile counts.
• Calibrating plankton net efficiency or SEM imaging protocols using paired sample methodologies.

Strengths

• Includes high-resolution taxonomic data from scanning electron microscope (JEOL JSM-6480 LV) analysis, with up to 700 fields-of-view examined per sample.
• Combines two complementary plankton sampling methods: net tows for relative abundance and bottle casts for quantitative depth profiles.
• Covers a specific, focused geographic area (head of DeSoto Canyon) and temporal period (2012-10-13 to 2012-10-15) with detailed methodology.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, file formats, and license are unreported across all platforms.
• A conflict exists for the 'last updated' date, with one source listing 2012-10-15 and others listing 2026-03-06, casting doubt on provenance maintenance.
• The dataset's scale is limited to a single three-day cruise, covering only 9 stations, with quantitative profiles from only 5 of those sites.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (listed as organization on nasa_earthdata). Data collected by Valdosta State University Department of Biology (inferred from datagov tags).

Collection Method

Plankton collected via 25-micrometer mesh net and via Niskin bottles for quantitative profiles; analyzed with CTD sensors and scanning electron microscopy.

Time Range

2012-10-13 to 2012-10-15

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:18:52.664504

Geography

Gulf of Mexico, off the Florida Panhandle at the head of DeSoto Canyon (9 sites, Pensacola transect).