Availability: Restricted The data are withheld from general circulation and disclosure but access may be obtained on a case-by-case basis through negotiation
Notes:
The intention of the Western Channel Observatory web-site is to make the data as widely available as possible to interested scientists. This is consistent with the approach to data dissemination of the GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics) Project and GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) and the efforts of the ICES Working Group on Zooplankton Ecology to facilitate the comparison of zooplankton monitoring data within the ICES area.
Use of the data on this data-set, either in scientific presentations, or in published papers, should include appropriate acknowledgement. To avoid overlapping of research studies and for dataset administrative purposes, interested users should contact us to determine possible overlap with current research topics. Suggestions for joint analysis leading to collaboration are always welcomed.
Please Contact Us via e-mail to tell us how you are using the data. This is for our own interest so that we can monitor how much and for which purpose the data is being used. The data is only available for non-commercial use.
Description
Station L4 is one of a series of hydrographic stations in the Western English Channel (English Channel References). These stations have been the basis of a series of hydrographic surveys carried out during the 20th Century by scientists at the Marine Biological Association and Plymouth Marine Laboratory in Plymouth. more
Beginning in 1988, through the work of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory Zooplankton Group, a programme of weekly observations was started at L4.
No formal research programme was proposed, the time-series exploiting the activities of the PML small boats in an opportunistic way as by-product of their other sampling activities (e.g., collection of live plankton, sea-water, trawling for fish and squid). Over the next 20 years increasing numbers of parameters were measured at L4, including CTD, nutrients, optics, primary production as well as the fish trawl surveys carried out by the MBA. Recently measurements of the DNA and bacterial bio-diversity have been added. Since 2006, the phytoplankton and zooplankton series have fallen under the auspices of the Western Channel Observatory, a UK Natural Environmental Research Council funded project.
