Dataset: Continuous Plankton Recorder phytoplankton and zooplankton occurrence and count data from The CPR Survey in the Western North Atlantic Ocean from 1958 to 2022

Over the last 90 years, the CPR Survey analysis team has analyzed more than a quarter of a million samples from over 7 million miles of tows in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, North and South Atlantic, North Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Spatial and temporal data are stored at the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA) for every sample analyzed by the CPR Survey, since 1946. This amounts to over 261,000 samples, with around 200 more samples added per month. The presence of every planktonic entity identified on each sample is stored in the database, and there are over 2 million plankton records in total. The database also contains supportive information such as tow locations, times and dates, ship details, a taxon catalog and analyst details.

Over 800 zooplankton and phytoplankton entities have been identified on CPR samples, and the 'abundance' of each entity on each sample can be extracted from the database. Some plankton are identified to species level, some to genus level, and some at a higher taxonomic level. Some entities are groups of other entities. The complete Species List is kept in the database.

Data can be extracted from user-defined areas, over specified periods, for selected entities [from the 'The CPR Survey' site]. For example, all samples taken from the Dogger Bank area in the North Sea during March, April, and May since 1946 could be extracted from the database, and the 'abundance' of selected diatom species on each sample could be listed. Alternatively, an average value, number of samples, and standard deviation per year per month could be retrieved. The data can be exported to statistical and presentation packages in many popular formats such as text, rich text, comma-separated, MS Excel, MS Access, MS Word, Fox Pro, Dbase, Lotus, and to SQL compliant databases. The CPR Survey can supply some descriptive data at little cost (usually free).

Future updates are planned to extend the time range of this dataset at BCO-DMO. If you would like to know more about CPR coverage of a particular location, contact David Johns at The CPR Survey.

For information about methods and parameters, and link to The CPR Survey data page: https://www.cprsurvey.org/data/our-data/.