Mesozooplankton taxonomic density collected using a 1-m diameter ring net with 200-μm mesh at Palmer Station, Antarctica during Palmer LTER field seasons, 2017-2020 ...

• Main Authors: LTER, Palmer Station Antarctica, Conroy, John A, Steinberg, Deborah K
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Environmental Data Initiative 2024
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica; Copepods
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/74127972839a3d2355e4717e1b7134f7; https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-pal.316.1

Zooplankton are a morphologically and taxonomically diverse group of animals. Many zooplankton feed on phytoplankton in surface waters and thus provide a link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. The numerical density of common mesozooplankton taxa was determined at Palmer LTER Stations B and E. Samples were collected with a 1-m diameter, 200-μm mesh ring net towed obliquely from the surface to a target depth of 50 m and back. Tows were conducted during daytime, and sampling frequency was nominally twice weekly while personnel were at Palmer Station between the months of November and March. The preserved samples were size-fractionated with nested sieves into five size classes (0.2−0.5, 0.5−1, 1−2, 2−5, and >5 mm) prior to microscopic enumeration. Data are provided for the following taxa: copepods Oithona spp., Calanoides acutus (>1 mm only), Calanus propinquus (>1 mm only), Rhincalanus gigas (>1 mm only), and small calanoids (0.2−1 mm), chaetognaths, asteroid larvae, nemertean ...