Data acquisition:
Samples were collected using a 1.5 metre diameter Ring net (150 micron metre mesh) with a wide cod-end on the base (volume approximately 40 Litres). Vertical trawls were to 20 m (unless otherwise specified). Deployment speed was determined by wave conditions with hauling speed at slowest possible speed available by the gantry (approximately than 2 meters per second). The net was rinsed with sea water before the cod-end was removed and the contents determined by observing a sub-sample under the light microscope. Appendicualrians were separated and preserved while the remaining contents of the cod-end were sieved through 120 micrometre mesh and preserved to be sorted more accurately on return to the laboratories.
The appendicularians were quantified and sorted under light microscopes with additional randomly selected individuals being prepared for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging to enable identification to species level and some Oikopleura gaussica stomach's where dissected for SEM dietary analysis.
Data processing:
Data are being processed using 'statistica 6' (and possibly PRIMER or PATN) to determine correlations with physical parameters obtained from underway data, the CTD and the microbial biologist.
Dataset Format:
Database is an excel spreadsheet
Parameters:
Leg - identification number of southern bound legs
Event number - deployment number
Station - leg number . sample point number
CTD - number of corresponding CTD (conductivity, Temperature Depth sample point)
Date - date/month/year
Time (UTC)
Latitude
Longitude
NET (mesh (micro meters) type) - Net type and mesh size in micro meters (150)
DEPTH (m) - vertical trawl depth
# APPENDICULARIANS - count of appendicularians from ship and laboratory based sorting
Fritiliaria drygalski - count of Fritillaridae's from ship and laboaratory based sorting
Oiklopleura gaussica - count of Oikopleuridae's from ship and laboratory based sorting
Alive - count of live appendicularians from ship based sorting
SEM IMAGE - individual appendicularians and/or O. gaussica stomach SEM images have been taken
SEM Stub number - stub number that is first two numbers of SEM images
SAMPLE TYPE - BARCODE
Zooplankton - cod-end contents sieved and preserved
Appendicularians - sorted from cod-end
Live - live appendicularians (now preserved)
Other 1- samples that did not fit in to the above categories or additional samples for station
Other 2- additional samples for station that did not fit in to the above categories
This work was completed as part of ASAC projects 2655 and 2679 (ASAC_2655, ASAC_2679).
