California Current Ecosystem LTER

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Phytoplankton species composition, California Current (CalCOFI Cruises)

Title
Temporal and spatial changes of the abundance and species composition of phytoplankton in the California Current from samples collected aboard CalCOFI cruises from summer 1996 through 2022.

Abstract
The abundances of 385 taxonomic categories of phytoplankton (species where possible) are presented for the 26.5 -year period beginning with summer, 1996 and concluding with autumn 2022. There were four cruises per year. Samples were water samples collected from the second depth, which was designed to sample the mixed layer when a mixed layer existed, generally between 5m - 15m. Before counting, samples from single stations were pooled into four regions: NE (northern inshore), SE (southern inshore), Alley (the region of the California Current) and Offshore (Central Pacific). Pooled samples were enumerated with an inverted microscope. The species data are presented by seven major taxonomic categories followed by the sums of those major taxa. The species codes are defined in the table metadata.
Keywords
ecosystems, phytoplankton, abundance, spatial variability, temporal properties, community composition

LTER Data System Record
http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/60edabfbfd85c623fce05822befaa071
Projects
CalCOFI - Scripps Institution of Oceanography
California Current Ecosystem LTER

Creators
Venrick, Elizabeth (evenrick@ucsd.edu)

Contact
CCE LTER Information Manager (ccelter.im@gmail.com)

Data

file Species Abundances, 2019-2022
Phytoplankton Abundances (cells/100 ml) of phytoplankton taxa are grouped into 7 major taxonomic categories (centric diatoms, pennate diatoms, thecate dinoflagellates, athecate dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, silicoflagellates and miscellaneous), each followed by the total abundance of that group. Data are presented by year, with four cruises per year and four regions per cruise. This file contains abundances for 2019 - 2022. New taxonomic categories have been added to this set and because of these, the species list is longer than the original, but the codes are the same. 		Size: 118.69kB
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 		View / Download
file Species abundances, 2012 - 2018
Phytoplankton Abundances (cells/100 ml) of phytoplankton taxa are grouped into 7 major taxonomic categories (centric diatoms, pennate diatoms, thecate dinoflagellates, athecate dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, silicoflagellates and miscellaneous), each followed by the total abundance of that group. Data are presented by year, with four cruises per year and four regions per cruise. This file contains abundances for 2012 - 2018, with two cruises overlapping with the 1996 - 2012 data file included in this dataset. New taxonomic categories have been added to this set and because of these, the species list longer than the original, but the codes are the same. 		Size: 191.56kB
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 		View / Download
file Species Abundances, 1996 - 2012
Phytoplankton Abundances (cells/100 ml) of phytoplankton taxa are grouped into 7 major taxonomic categories (centric diatoms, pennate diatoms, thecate dinoflagellates, athecate dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, silicoflagellates and miscellaneous), each followed by the total abundance of that group. Data are presented by year, with four cruises per year and four regions per cruise. This file contains abundances for 1996 - 2012. 		Size: 421.90kB
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 		View / Download
file Definitions
CalCOFI grid regions, species codes and species identification references to accompany data spreadsheet. 		Size: 35.27kB
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 		View / Download

Methods

General Methods
Samples were collected on 34 of the 66 routine CalCOFI stations between station 90 and the shore. Stations were chosen to be approximately evenly spaced (Hayward and Venrick 1998). Unsampled cruises or regions were indicated by” -13”. Samples were water samples collected from the second depth of routine hydrographic casts, which was designed to sample the mixed layer when a mixed layer existed; this generally fell between 5m - 15m. Individual samples were 30 ml, preserved with 1% buffered formalin, and returned to the lab where they were pooled into the four regional samples defined by Hayward and Venrick (1998). Pooled samples were counted with an inverted phase-contrast microscope. The volume of counted material depended upon the concentration of cells, which was roughly estimated by the chlorophyll concentration and varied between 0.5 ml and 100 ml. The entire sample was counted at 100X magnification for larger species and then one or more subareas were counted at 250X magnification for smaller cells. Subareas usually represented 16.7% of the total. When a small cell was noted on a low-power count, but was not seen under higher power, it was so indicated by a “-1” and ignored in the taxonomic sums. When possible, cells of uncertain identity were transferred to a compound scope for identification under higher magnification.

References

Hayward, T. L. and E. L. Venrick. 1998. Nearsurface pattern in the California Current: coupling between physical and biological structure. Deep-Sea Res. II 45: 1617–1638.

Venrick, E. L. 1998. Spring in the California Current: the distribution of phytoplankton species, April 1993 and April 1995. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 167: 73–88.

Venrick, E. L. 2012. Phytoplankton in the California Current system off southern California: changes in a changing environment. Progr. Oceanogr. 104: 44–58.

Venrick, E, L. 2015. Phytoplankton species in the California Current off Southern California: the spatial dimensions. CalCOFI Reports, 56:168-184.

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