Abundance, biovolume and biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates from cruises TT007, TT008, TT011, TT012 in the Equatorial Pacific in 1992 during the U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) project

Website: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/2668
Version: final
Version Date: 1997-05-01

Project
» U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific (EqPac)

Program
» U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (U.S. JGOFS)
ContributorsAffiliationRole
Verity, PeterSkidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO)Principal Investigator
Chandler, Cynthia L.Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)BCO-DMO Data Manager


Dataset Description

Abundance, biovolume and biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates


Methods & Sampling

See Platform deployments for cruise specific documentation


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Parameters

ParameterDescriptionUnits
stastation number from event log
castCTD cast number from event log
eventevent/operation number
datedate reported as YYYYMMDD, year, month, day
lat_nnominal latitude, (minus = south) degrees
botCTD rosette bottle number
depth_nnominal depth meters
h_dino_ahetertrophic dinoflagellate abundance cells/ml
h_dino_vhetertrophic dinoflagellate biovolume um^3/cell
h_dino_mhetertrophic dinoflagellate biomass ugC/l


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Instruments

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
Niskin Bottle
Generic Instrument Name
Niskin bottle
Dataset-specific Description
CTD clean rosette (Niskin) bottles were used to collect water samples.
Generic Instrument Description
A Niskin bottle (a next generation water sampler based on the Nansen bottle) is a cylindrical, non-metallic water collection device with stoppers at both ends. The bottles can be attached individually on a hydrowire or deployed in 12, 24, or 36 bottle Rosette systems mounted on a frame and combined with a CTD. Niskin bottles are used to collect discrete water samples for a range of measurements including pigments, nutrients, plankton, etc.

Dataset-specific Instrument Name
Fluorescence Microscope Image Analysis System
Generic Instrument Name
Fluorescence Microscope Image Analysis System
Dataset-specific Description
fluorescence microscope image analysis system used to measure Abundance and biovolume
Generic Instrument Description
A Fluorescence (or Epifluorescence) Microscope Image Analysis System uses semi-automated color image analysis to determine cell abundance, dimensions and biovolumes from an Epifluorescence Microscope. An Epifluorescence Microscope (conventional and inverted) includes a camera system that generates enlarged images of prepared samples. The microscope uses excitation ultraviolet light and the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption of visible light.


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Deployments

TT007

Website
Platform
R/V Thomas G. Thompson
Start Date
1992-01-30
End Date
1992-03-13
Description
Purpose: Spring Survey Cruise; 12°N-12°S at 140°W TT007 was one of five cruises conducted in 1992 in support of the U.S. Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) Process Study. The five EqPac cruises aboard R/V Thomas G. Thompson included two repeat meridional sections (12°N - 12°S), 2 equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey (all at 140° W). The scientific objectives of this study were to observe the processes in the Equatorial Pacific controlling the fluxes of carbon and related elements between the atmosphere, euphotic zone, and deep ocean. As luck would have it, the survey window coincided with an El Nino event. A bonus for the research team.

Methods & Sampling
PI: Peter Verity of: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography dataset: Abundance/Biovolume/Biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dates: February 05, 1992 to March 08, 1992 location: N: 12.0039 S: -12.0306 W: -140.4726 E: -134.9948 project/cruise: EQPAC/TT007 - Spring Survey ship: Thomas Thompson Methodology: Verity, P.G., D.K. Stoecker, M.E. Sieracki and J.R. Nelson 1996. Microzooplankton grazing of primary production at 140W in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research II, vol 43, No. 4-6, pp 1227-1256. Abundance and biovolume were measured using a fluorescence microscope image analysis system. Carbon was calculated from biovolume using a constant density factor of 0.24 pgC/cubic micron cell volume. Abundance values are for organisms less than 20 microns.

TT008

Website
Platform
R/V Thomas G. Thompson
Start Date
1992-03-19
End Date
1992-04-15
Description
Purpose: Spring Time Series; Equator, 140°W TT008 was one of five cruises conducted in 1992 in support of the U.S. Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) Process Study. The five EqPac cruises aboard R/V Thomas G. Thompson included two repeat meridional sections (12°N - 12°S), 2 equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey (all at 140° W). The scientific objectives of this study were to observe the processes in the Equatorial Pacific controlling the fluxes of carbon and related elements between the atmosphere, euphotic zone, and deep ocean. As luck would have it, the survey window coincided with an El Nino event. A bonus for the research team.

Methods & Sampling
PI: Peter Verity of: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography dataset: Abundance/Biovolume/Biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dates: March 23, 1992 to April 09, 1992 location: N: 0.0018 S: -0.0145 W: -140.0003 E: -139.9833 project/cruise: EQPAC/TT008 - Spring Time Series ship: Thomas Thompson Methodology: Verity, P.G., D.K. Stoecker, M.E. Sieracki and J.R. Nelson 1996. Microzooplankton grazing of primary production at 140W in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research II, vol 43, No. 4-6, pp 1227-1256. PI-Notes:Abundance and biovolume were measured using a fluorescence microscope image analysis system. Carbon was calculated from biovolume using a constant density factor of 0.24 pgC/cubic micron cell volume. Abundance values are for organisms less than 20 microns.

TT011

Website
Platform
R/V Thomas G. Thompson
Start Date
1992-08-05
End Date
1992-09-18
Description
Purpose: Fall Survey; 12°N-12°S at 140°W TT011 was one of five cruises conducted in 1992 in support of the U.S. Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) Process Study. The five EqPac cruises aboard R/V Thomas G. Thompson included two repeat meridional sections (12°N - 12°S), 2 equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey (all at 140° W). The scientific objectives of this study were to observe the processes in the Equatorial Pacific controlling the fluxes of carbon and related elements between the atmosphere, euphotic zone, and deep ocean. As luck would have it, the survey window coincided with an El Nino event. A bonus for the research team.

Methods & Sampling
PI: Peter Verity of: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography dataset: Abundance/Biovolume/Biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dates: August 10, 1992 to September 14, 1992 location: N: 11.9967 S: -11.885 W: -140.21 E: -134.9433 project/cruise: EQPAC/TT011 - Fall Survey ship: Thomas Thompson Methodology: Verity, P.G., D.K. Stoecker, M.E. Sieracki and J.R. Nelson 1996. Microzooplankton grazing of primary production at 140W in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research II, vol 43, No. 4-6, pp 1227-1256. PI-Notes:Abundance and biovolume were measured using a fluorescence microscope image analysis system. Carbon was calculated from biovolume using a constant density factor of 0.24 pgC/cubic micron cell volume. Abundance values are for organisms less than 20 microns. EqPac bottle quality review summary from DMO

TT012

Website
Platform
R/V Thomas G. Thompson
Start Date
1992-09-24
End Date
1992-10-21
Description
Purpose: Fall Time Series; Equator, 140°W TT012 was one of five cruises conducted in 1992 in support of the U.S. Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) Process Study. The five EqPac cruises aboard R/V Thomas G. Thompson included two repeat meridional sections (12°N - 12°S), 2 equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey (all at 140° W). The scientific objectives of this study were to observe the processes in the Equatorial Pacific controlling the fluxes of carbon and related elements between the atmosphere, euphotic zone, and deep ocean. As luck would have it, the survey window coincided with an El Nino event. A bonus for the research team.

Methods & Sampling
PI: Peter Verity of: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography dataset: Abundance/Biovolume/Biomass of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dates: September 25, 1992 to October 20, 1992 location: N: 0.013 S: -12 W: -145.489 E: -139.8587 project/cruise: EQPAC/TT012 - Fall Time Series ship: Thomas Thompson Methodology: Verity, P.G., D.K. Stoecker, M.E. Sieracki and J.R. Nelson 1996. Microzooplankton grazing of primary production at 140W in the equatorial Pacific. Deep-Sea Research II, vol 43, No. 4-6, pp 1227-1256. PI-Notes: Abundance and biovolume were measured using a fluorescence microscope image analysis system. Carbon was calculated from biovolume using a constant density factor of 0.24 pgC/cubic micron cell volume. Abundance values are for organisms less than 20 microns.


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Project Information

U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific (EqPac)


Coverage: Equatorial Pacific


The U.S. EqPac process study consisted of repeat meridional sections (12°N -12°S) across the equator in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific from 95°W to 170°W during 1992. The major scientific program was focused at 140° W consisting of two meridional surveys, two equatorial surveys, and a benthic survey aboard the R/V Thomas Thompson. Long-term deployments of current meter and sediment trap arrays augmented the survey cruises. NOAA conducted boreal spring and fall sections east and west of 140°W from the R/V Baldridge and R/V Discoverer. Meteorological and sea surface observations were obtained from NOAA's in place TOGA-TAO buoy network.

The scientific objectives of this study were to determine the fluxes of carbon and related elements, and the processes controlling these fluxes between the Equatorial Pacific euphotic zone and the atmosphere and deep ocean. A broad overview of the program at the 140°W site is given by Murray et al. (Oceanography, 5: 134-142, 1992). A full description of the Equatorial Pacific Process Study, including the international context and the scientific results, appears in a series of Deep-Sea Research Part II special volumes:

Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific (1995), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 42, No. 2/3.

Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific. Part 2 (1996), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 43, No. 4/6.

Topical Studies in Oceanography, A U.S. JGOFS Process Study in the Equatorial Pacific (1997), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 44, No. 9/10.

Topical Studies in Oceanography, The Equatorial Pacific JGOFS Synthesis (2002), Deep-Sea Research Part II, Volume 49, Nos. 13/14.



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Program Information

U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (U.S. JGOFS)


Coverage: Global


The United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study was a national component of international JGOFS and an integral part of global climate change research.

The U.S. launched the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) in the late 1980s to study the ocean carbon cycle. An ambitious goal was set to understand the controls on the concentrations and fluxes of carbon and associated nutrients in the ocean. A new field of ocean biogeochemistry emerged with an emphasis on quality measurements of carbon system parameters and interdisciplinary field studies of the biological, chemical and physical process which control the ocean carbon cycle. As we studied ocean biogeochemistry, we learned that our simple views of carbon uptake and transport were severely limited, and a new "wave" of ocean science was born. U.S. JGOFS has been supported primarily by the U.S. National Science Foundation in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy and the Office of Naval Research. U.S. JGOFS, ended in 2005 with the conclusion of the Synthesis and Modeling Project (SMP).



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