2001-2002 zooplankton species abundance and biomass data collected from vertical net tows in the Gulf of Alaska. The data were gathered by the Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Observation Program using a WP-2 net with a 253-μm mesh, deployed from the F/V Great Pacific. Sampling covered coastal waters and Shelikof Strait, with transects extending from nearshore to beyond the 200-meter shelf break.
Use Cases
- Modeling zooplankton population dynamics based on species abundance and biomass data.
- Analyzing spatial distribution of marine species across the continental shelf based on transect sampling.
- Studying changes in marine food webs based on species-specific biomass measurements.
- Correlating environmental factors with plankton community structure based on data from a long-term observation program.
Strengths
- Data collected as part of a formal long-term observation program, suggesting structured methodology.
- Sampling details are specified, including net type (WP-2), mesh size (253-μm), and target depth (100-m).
- Geographic scope is clearly defined, covering coastal Gulf of Alaska and Shelikof Strait with specific transect patterns.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Last updated 2002-08-05 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS via nasa_earthdata
- Collection Method
- Vertical net tows (WP-2 net with 253-μm mesh) to 100-m depth, with flow meters estimating filtered water volume.
- Time Range
- 2001-2002
- Freshness
- Last updated 2002-08-05 23:59:59.999000
- Geography
- Coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska and Shelikof Strait, Alaska, USA