Zooplankton Distribution and Abundance off Newport, Oregon 1969-1972

From 1969 to 1972, Oregon State University collected zooplankton samples via net casts in the coastal waters off Newport, Oregon. The dataset, detailed in a 1976 OSU Sea Grant report, likely contains information on distribution, abundance, and seasonal cycles. It provides a multi-year baseline for studying zooplankton community dynamics in the Pacific Northwest.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal cycles and interannual variations in zooplankton abundance based on the multi-year time series.
• Mapping the distribution of zooplankton species along the continental shelf off Newport, Oregon.
• Establishing a historical baseline for comparing modern coastal plankton community data.
• Studying the relationship between zooplankton dynamics and broader coastal ecosystem processes.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous four-year time series from 1969 to 1972, enabling seasonal and interannual analysis.
• Dataset is associated with a formal, peer-reviewed technical report (OSU Sea Grant, June 1976) providing context and methodology.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals its importance and curation within federal data systems.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are unknown, limiting immediate usability without accessing the raw files.
• Metadata conflicts on the 'last updated' date (1972 vs. 2026), suggesting potential versioning or archival inconsistencies.
• Limited spatial scope to a specific region off Newport, Oregon, constraining broader geographic analysis.

Provenance

Source

Oregon State University, School of Oceanography (OSU Sea Grant College Program)

Collection Method

Zooplankton net casts

Time Range

1969-01-01 to 1972-12-31

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:23:13.826700

Geography

Coastal Waters of Washington/Oregon, specifically the continental shelf off Newport, Oregon