Antarctic Glider Trajectory with Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Data

A 23-day deployment of a Slocum Webb G2 glider in the Terra Nova Bay polynya collected physical and biological oceanographic data. The dataset includes measurements from an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP), CTD, chlorophyll fluorescence sensor, optical backscatter sensor, and dissolved oxygen sensor. Data were collected by Rutgers University's Center for Ocean Observing Leadership in January 2018 and archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between temperature/salinity (CTD data) and chlorophyll fluorescence to study phytoplankton bloom drivers.
• Model zooplankton and silverfish distributions using multi-frequency acoustic backscatter data from the AZFP.
• Investigate dissolved oxygen (Optode data) variability relative to physical water column properties like density.
• Map the glider's geospatial trajectory against concurrent measurements of optical backscatter for sediment or particle transport studies.

Strengths

• Data collected over a continuous 23-day period in January 2018.
• Integrates multiple sensor types (acoustic, optical, chemical, physical) on a single platform.
• Focused on a specific, ecologically significant Antarctic region (Terra Nova Bay polynya).

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a single month, missing seasonal context.
• Geographic scope is restricted to one location in the Ross Sea.

Provenance

Source

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RU COOL), archived by NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Integrated sensor package on a Slocum Webb G2 glider, data assembled by IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center.

Time Range

2018-01-09 to 2018-01-31

Freshness

Data collection ended on 2018-01-31; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Terra Nova Bay polynya, western Ross Sea, Antarctica.