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4. DATA.

4.1. Data Characteristics

Inventory

This atlas contains the data from 158 cruises carried out in the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, and the White Sea from 1913-1999. The atlas includes the White Sea in order to not separate cruises which started in the White Sea and were completed in the Barents Sea. One of the 158 cruises was conducteded in the Barents Sea by the American research vessel Tanner in 1963 (CD-ROM, file 31tn6370.csv). Another cruise was carried out in the Barents Sea and Arctic Basin by the German research icebreaker Polarstern in 1996 (CD-ROM, file 06aq9670.csv), and the other cruises were carried out by Russian vessels. In addition, the atlas includes phytoplankton data collecteded in two bays of the Kola Peninsula during 1968-1989. In each bay, measurements were taken at the same station with a frequency of 2-10 measurements per month.

The hydrobiological database is characterized by:
Period of observations: 1913-1999
Total number of cruises: 158
Total number of stations: 4,608 (Data distribution plot)

Physical and hydrochemical data: 3,096 (Data distribution plot)

Temperature: 3,046 stations
Salinity: 2,947 stations
Oxygen: 1,998 stations
pH: 1,418 stations
Alkalinity: 1,141 stations
Ammonium (NH4): 17 stations
Nitrites: 1,773 stations
Nitrates: 1,794 stations
Total Nitrogen: 152 stations
Phosphate: 1,957 stations
Total Phosphorus: 17 stations
Silicate (SiO4): 439 stations

Chlorophyll: 386 stations (Data distribution plot)
Primary Productivity: 76 stations
Phytoplankton: 1,539 stations and 4,275 samples (Data distribution plot)
Zooplankton: 2,475 stations and 9,081 samples (Data distribution plot)

The inventory table contains data distribution plots, information, and data for each cruise. Original data are presented on the CD-ROM in the folder DATA\PRIMARY, in a format adjusted for use of electronic tables.

Sources

The archive created by the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (1952-1999) is a basic data source for this atlas. It includes the data collected by the investigators of the Murmansk biological station in 1920-1940. The Central Library of NOAA (Silver Spring, MD, USA), the Slavic Library (Helsinki, Finland), Dartmouth College Library (Hanover, NH, USA), and the Slavonic and Baltic Devision of the New York Public Library (New York, NY, USA) are also sources of hydrobiological data collected from 1913-1964.

Format

The data format is based on a data format developed by the Ocean Climate Laboratory (National Oceanographic Data Center/ NOAA, USA). It is of a block structure, with each block clearly defined by a keyword, containing data identified by additional keywords. Let us consider the blocks and their components.

Each data file starts with the block Cruiseinfo which presents cruise information. This block incorporates the country name, vessel name, and a list of the investigators performing the measurements.

The Station block contains station coordinates, date and time. This block is obligatory for each station. Its word order is fixed.

The Station block is followed by the Type blocks, which contain information on the results of measurements of meteorological (Type, Meteo), hydrophysical (Type, Hydrology), and biological (Type, Plankton) parameters.

The Header block presents information on the methods of measurements and observational conditions. For example, the block Type, Headers plankton, Phytoplankton contains the information on the type of the instrument used for sampling phytoplankton.

On the CD-ROM in the section DATA\FORMAT, the enumerations of modes, keywords and tolerance limits of parameters are presented. The block organizational structure of this data format allows for the easy addition of new types of data without modifying the structure of existing files. For example, on the CD-ROM in the file DATA\PRIMARY\ 90BY9270.csv, the data of the 67th cruise of the R/V Dalnie Zelentsy are presented. On this cruise, benthic samples were also collected and added to the data. This demonstrates that it is possible to add benthic data to the existing data format.

 

4.2. Discrete Measurements

Hydrology, hydrochemistry

The measurments of physical and hydrochemical parameters of sea water have been carried out by MMBI according to present manuals and method of applications.

Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton sampling was carried out with plankton nets (usually by Juday plankton net) or by plastic bothometers of different capacity (2-10 l) at standard hydrological horizons (Manual, 1977; Manual, 1980). Since 1960 only bothometers have been used for phytoplankton sampling. Sample concentration utilized two methods: the settlement method (Sukhanova, 1983) or the method of reverse filtering (Dodgson, Thomas, 1964; Sukhanova, 1983). The method of reverse filtering has been used by the MMBI since 1986.

The settlement method of sample concentration is carried out as follows: preserved 1 liter samples are motionless and allowed to settle for no less than 10 days. After sedimentation of cells is complete, the sample is slowly (drop by drop) poured off until its volume reduces to 30-50 ml. For this purpose, a glass tube-syphon is used with an extended end that is bent 2-3 cm upwards.

The method of reverse filtering is based on the use of a special filtering cell provided with nuclepore filters with a pore size of 1.0-2.0 µm ( Makarevich, Druzhkov, 1989). This allows for filtering of sea water up to 10 liters, depending on season and plankton abundance. When using this method, concentration of samples is caused by pressure resulting from the difference between a height at which the filtering equipment is placed and a level at which the bottle with sample is kept.

Phytoplankton processing was carried out according to the following scheme: phytoplankton samples were divided into three subsamples. A Najotte glass counting cell with a capacity of 0.05 ml and 1 cm2 dimension (Fedorov, 1979; Manual, 1980) was used, with light microscope (100-400x),to determine the taxonomic composition and number of cells in the sample. From the results of these three experiments species content and abundance for each species for phytoplankton sample, as a whole, were determined (Sukhanova, 1983).

During the last years the MMBI utilized Lougol solution as preservative. Water samples of 200 ml were preserved in Lougol's solution (concentration 1%). The samples were rapidly poured into a bottle containing a portion of preservative. After 3 days samples were concentrated until 20-30 ml of liquid remained, and were preserved by neutral formalin with a final concentration of 2 percent (Mikheeva, 1989). The counting of microalgae and heterotrophic flagellates exceeding 10 µm, and their identifications were carried out in a counting chamber of original construction (Druzhkov, Makarevich, 1988; Druzhkov, 1989) using a light microscope with a magnification of 200x. Microalgae and heterotrophic flagellates exceeding 10 µm were examined in the same chamber with a magnification of 400x (usually 1/3 of subprobe volume). Large and less numerous phytoplankton samples were calculated full sample volume in the Bogorov chamber at a magnification of 32x.

The phytoplankton abundance per unit volume (N) was calculated from the mean of cells in one sample using the following formula:

N = Nk· Vck / Vn· Vk

in which:

Nk - is the number of phytoplankton cells in the counting chamber;
Vk - is the capacity of counting chamber;
Vck - is a volume of concentrated sample;
Vn - is a sample volume.

Microalgae biomass was calculated using tables of average cell volumes and weights compiled for the Barents Sea (Solovieva, 1976; Makarevich et al., 1991, 1993). In most cases measurements of the cell volume parameters were measured using a micrometer (magnification was 400x, measurement accuracy was up to 3 µm). All cell volumes were calculated using the method of geometrical similarity of figures as average values of individual volumes (Clarke et al., 1987) using recommended approximation models for simple geometric bodies (Koltsova, 1970; Makarova, Pichkily, 1970; Recommendations, 1979; Kozhova et al., 1978; Plinski et al., 1984).

Zooplankton

Zooplankton were sampled and analyzed according to standard procedures used in Russia (Bogorov, 1927, 1934, 1938, 1940). For the sampling of zooplankton, the large model of the Juday plankton net was used at standard water depths (bottom-100, 100-75, 75-50, 50-25, 25-10 and 10-0 meters). Towing on all layers was carried out from the bottom to the surface only at some stations. The Juday net has an opening diameter 37 cm, and a mesh size of 168 µm. The sample was poured into prepared bottles and preserved with 4% neutral formalin.

Sample processing included two successive operations: first, determining the sample wet weight, and second, quantitative sample processing (identification and calculation of each species, taking into account life stage and size groups). Sample wet weight was determined using a torsion balance with an accuracy of up to 0.1 mg. The counting carried out by Hensen (Manual, 1980) calculational method using the Bogorov's counting chamber. If the number of species in the counting chamber was insufficient, all species were analyzed. In other cases, large specimens were taken out of the sample, identified, calculated, and measured separately. The sample remainder was concentrated to a volume of 50-100 ml (or higher, depending on plankton abundance). Then the sample was carefully mixed and a subsample was collected with a stamp pipette (1, 2 or 5 ml depending on the capacity of the stamp pipette) and then analyzed in the Bogorov's counting chamber using a binocular microscope. Two or three similar subsamples were collected from each sample. The difference of values between subsamples should not exceeded 30%, otherwise the number of samples was increased. The obtained results were averaged, and the sample was analyzed as a whole for identification and counting of rare species.

4.3. Continuous Measurements

In June 1993, during the 72nd cruise of the R/V Dalnie Zelentsy, continuous measurements of temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a were conducted in the surface layer of the region between 68o-74oN and 34o-46oE (CD-ROM, file DATA\PRIMARY\90BY936s.csv). A two-channel fluorometer (KVANT-7) was utilized for chlorophyll-a measurements. Instrument EPT-65 was used for sea water temperature and salinity measurements. Coordinates were determined using a GPS navigational system (RAYSTAR-900). Section DOC\SERIAL presented on the accompanying CD-ROM illustrates detailed technology for measurements and calibrating curves.

4.4. Lists of Plankton Species

For HTML version of the atlas, a searchable table of 527 taxonomic names of phytoplankton in alphabetic order was created. Also all phytoplankton were split into 8 taxonomic groups (Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Cryptophyta, Dinophyta, Euglenophyta, Haptophyta, Prasinophyta) and organized as a systematic search table. The table has scientific names and synonyms. Each taxon is provided with its biomass value, its (EG)- ecological and (PG)- phytogeographical characteristics, as well as its corresponding ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) TSN (Taxonomic Serial Number) and NODC (National Oceanographic Data Center) code. A weight was computed by the method of geometrical similarity of figures ( Koltsova, 1970; Kozhova et al., 1978; Plinski et al., 1984). PG - phytogeographic characteristics (A = arctoboreal species; B = boreal species; C = cosmopolitan species); EG - ecological characteristics (O = oceanic forms; N = neritic forms; P = panthalassic forms; M = microphytobenthos; F = freshwater forms). The total list of phytoplankton species in original format is on the CD-ROM, file DATA\TAXA\TAXPHYTO.XLS.

The zooplankton list in alphabetic order for the Barents and Kara Seas includes approximately 282 taxa. The searchable table is of the following structure: zooplankton are split into groups characterized by taxonomic relationships (Coelenterata, Ctenophora, Rotatoria, Crustacea, Gastropoda, Chaetognatha, Appendicularia, and benthic invertebrate larvae).

The total zooplankton species list is on the CD-ROM in the file DATA\TAXA\TAX_ZOO.XLS.


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