Dataset: Copepod density gradient experiments near Scripps Canyon in La Jolla, CA from August to September 2017

ValidatedRelease Date:2020-06-01Final no updates expectedDOI: 10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.773555.1Version 1 (2019-07-30)Dataset Type:experimental

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Prairie (University of San Diego)

BCO-DMO Data Manager: Mathew Biddle (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)


Project: CAREER: Small-scale plankton-aggregate dynamics and the biological pump: Integrating mathematical biology in research and education (PlanktonAggDyn)


Abstract

This dataset is from a set of three experiments conducted on August 1, September 6, and September 9 in 2017, to observe the effect of density gradients (of differing strengths) on the vertical distribution and behavior of the copepod Calanus pacificus. Each experiment consisted of three treatments: a control (without a density gradient), a tank with a weak gradient (with the density of the top layer about 0.0020 kg/m3 less than that of the bottom layer), and a tank with a strong gradient (with t...

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Data from a set of 3 experiments of copepod swimming trajectories for three different treatments with varying strength density gradients: control (no gradient), weak gradient, and strong gradient.

Included are three Matlab data files (one for each of the three experiments) providing copepod tracks in 2D and 3D for each treatment (control, weak gradient, and strong gradient).

Experiment 1
Experiment 2 
Experiment 3 

Below are descriptions for the vectors/matrices included in these files.

copepod_track_expX_treatment_… all copepod track files are named in this format, where “expX” will read “exp1”, “exp2”, or “exp3” depending on the experiment number, and “treatment” will read “control”, “weak”, or “strong” depending on the treatment type. In all of the “copepod_track…” matrices, the rows correspond to distinct copepod tracks and the columns correspond to sequential image numbers (the time stamps of the image numbers are given in time vectors that are included). The value in each matrix cell provides the location of the copepod in cm for that dimension: 1) cam1_x is the horizontal dimension for camera 1 and location is given in cm to the right of the left tank wall, 2) cam1_z is the vertical dimension for camera 1 and location is given in cm below the center of the density gradient (so negative values correspond to locations above the density gradient), 3) cam2_y s the horizontal dimension for camera 2 and location is given in cm to the right of the left tank wall, 4) cam2_z is the vertical dimension for camera 2 and location is given in cm below the center of the density gradient (so negative values correspond to locations above the density gradient). Any cell with a value of “NaN” indicates that copepod track was not present in that image. 

For each treatment, there are 14 “copepod_track…” matrices that include:
All 2D tracks for the 4 dimensions respectively:

copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_all_cam1_x

copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_all_cam1_z
copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_all_cam2_y

copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_all_cam2_z

2D tracks longer than 10s from camera 1, which were used in analyses for 2D behavioral properties (vertical velocity and jump frequency):

copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_10s_cam1_x

copepod_track_expX_treatment_2D_10s_cam1_z

All 3D tracks for the 4 dimensions respectively:

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_all_cam1_x

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_all_cam1_z

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_all_cam2_y

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_all_cam2_z

3D tracks longer than 10s, which were used in analyses for 3D behavioral properties (overall velocity and net-to-gross displacement ratio). For the vertical dimension of the 3D tracks, the z-coordinate from camera 1 was used for analyses:

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_10s_cam1_x

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_10s_cam1_z

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_10s_cam2_y

copepod_track_expX_treatment_3D_10s_cam2_z

time_expX_treatment For each treatment, a time vector is included that provides the time in seconds after imaging began. The length of this vector is the same as the number of columns in the “copepod_track…” matrices for that treatment (i.e. each entry in the vector provides the time for that corresponding image).

track_length_expX_treatment_2D_cam1 For each treatment, this vector provides the duration of each 2D track from camera 1 in seconds. The length of this vector is the same as the number of rows in the “copepod_track…” matrix for all 2D tracks from camera 1 for that treatment (i.e. each entry in the “track_length..” vector provides the duration in seconds for that corresponding track).

track_length_expX_treatment_3D Same meaning as vector described above, but provides duration of each 3D track in seconds for that treatment.


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Related Publications

Results

Cayson, C. (n.d.). The Effects of Density Gradients on the Distribution and Behavior of Copepods. doi:10.22371/02.2018.017