Ocean Station Papa Zooplankton Measurements: 1956-1980

Zooplankton samples were collected at Ocean Station 'P' (50.0000, -145.0000) from 1956 to 1980. The dataset contains total zooplankton wet weights per cubic meter for the entire period, densities for five major taxa from 1964 to 1967, and species identifications, counts, and lengths for many samples between 1968 and 1980.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in total zooplankton wet weights per cubic meter from 1956 to 1980 at a fixed Pacific location.
• Compare population densities for the five major taxa (copepods, chaetognaths, euphausiids, amphipods, and Aglantha) during the 1964-1967 period.
• Model species-level community composition using species identifications and counts from samples collected between 1968 and 1980.
• Investigate size structure within zooplankton populations using the length measurements available for many samples.

Strengths

• Provides a 25-year time series (1956-1980) of zooplankton data from a fixed oceanographic station.
• Includes multiple measurement types: wet weight, density for five specific taxa, species identification, counts, and lengths.
• Data is supported by a detailed technical report documenting collection methods, file formats, and corrections.

Limitations

• Taxonomic resolution and available measurements vary across the time series, with the most detailed species-level data concentrated from 1968 onward.
• The dataset is derived from a single geographic point (50.0000, -145.0000), limiting spatial generalizability.
• Data collection ended in 1980, making it a historical baseline rather than a current resource.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, based on samples collected at Ocean Station 'Papa'.

Collection Method

Zooplankton samples were collected and analyzed, with methods detailed in the attached technical report (Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2056).

Time Range

1956 to 1980

Freshness

Historical dataset; last metadata update was 2026-03-24.

Geography

A single station in the Pacific Ocean at coordinates 50.0000, -145.0000 (Ocean Station 'Papa').