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Title: Cell counts (per liter) by size groups of diatoms, autotrophic and heterotrophic plankton, via epifluorescent microscopy (EPI) from CCE-CalCOFI Augmented cruises in the California Current System, 2004 - 2011 (ongoing).
Abstract: Microbial community assemblages of the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) are assessed for abundance of diatoms, autotrophic (dinoflagellate and other eukaryotes) and heterotrophic (dinoflagellate and other eukaryotes) plankton using high-throughput digital epifluorescence microscopy (EPI). Samples to estimate the nano- and microplankton (0.2-2.0-µm and 2.0-20-µm size, respectively) are collected at various depths via Niskin bottles, preserved, stained, and filtered onto a membrane filter and mounted on a glass microscope slide aboard the quarterly CalCOFI survey cruises (since 2004, ongoing). Slides are then frozen at -80°C for subsequent imaging and analysis in the laboratory onshore.

Keywords: marine, ecology, phytoplankton, microbes, abundance, epifluorescence
LTER Data System Record: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/78ab6996f5b3b0c2497301292cf4c02d

Projects: California Current Ecosystem LTER
Creators: Landry, Michael (mlandry@ucsd.edu)
Contact: CCE LTER Information Manager (ccelter.im@gmail.com)

Data

table

NanoandMicroplanktonAbundance
Main data table for dataset

Rows: 772
Columns: 48

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Methods

General Methods

Samples for nanoplankton analyses (20-50 mL) will be preserved (2 mL, 10% paraformaldehyde), stained with the fluorochromes proflavin (25 µL, 0.033% w/v) and DAPI (50 µg mL-1), filtered onto 0.8-µm black polycarbonate filters, and mounted onto glass slides. These slides will be analyzed by size class and major taxon (diatoms, dinoflagellates, etc.) with a Zeiss Axiovert 200 microscope equipped with a fully motorized stage and Apotome imaging workstation for automated processing, 3-D reconstruction and extended-field focus. Microplankton samples (500 mL; glutaraldehyde and acid Lugols preserved) will be enumerated and sized with the Zeiss Axiovert system (inverted DIC mode) or with a newly acquired Flow Cytometer And Microscope (FlowCAM) system (Sieracki et al. 1998). Particle silhouettes are acquired in the FlowCAM’s optical sensing volume using frame-grabbing technology. Imaging software then estimates equivalent spherical diameters (ESD) and normalized particle size distributions (log ESD vs. log size; ~1000 particles/analysis). For each plankton group or size category, measured biovolumes will be converted to cellular C using the equations of Verity et al. (1992) and Menden-Deur & Lessard (2000).

California Current Ecosystem LTER

Nano and Microplankton Abundance (CalCOFI Cruise)

Data

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