Zooplankton Surveys from Malakula Island, Vanuatu in 1988

Six zooplankton samples collected in March 1988 around Malakula Island, Vanuatu, provide a cursory overview of species composition. Samples were taken from Port Sandwich, Sakao, Vulai, and Akhamb Islands using a 0.5m diameter, 200µm plankton net. This research was a component of a broader Australian-funded survey of Vanuatu marine resources aimed at habitat description and coastal management planning.

Use Cases

• Analyze relative abundance of copepods and other taxa based on the described scoring categories (Abundant, Common, Rare).
• Compare zooplankton communities between oceanic and sheltered environments as mentioned in the sampling locations.
• Study historical baseline species composition for coastal management and conservation planning, as referenced in the survey objectives.

Strengths

• Data includes six spatially distinct samples from inner, mid, and outer locations around Malakula Island.
• Copepods, the most abundant taxon, were identified at least to genus level.
• Samples were scored for relative abundance using a standardized three-category system (A, C, R).

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples collected using vertical hauls of a 0.5m diameter, 200µm plankton net.

Time Range

March 1988

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 14:37:33.768711; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Vicinity of Malakula Island, Vanuatu, including Port Sandwich (Lamap), Sakao, Vulai Islands, and Akhamb Island.