Abstract:
Benthic Macrofaunal abundance and biomass data collected during a series of ship-board sampling campaigns in the Barents Sea. As part of the NERC funded Changing Arctic Ocean programme, in July of 2017, 2018 and 2019, the RSS James Clark Ross followed a North-South transect at 30 degrees Longitude. In 2017 six stations were sampled (B3, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17); in 2018 seven stations were sampled (B3, B13, B14, Xs, B15, B16, B17); and in 2019 five stations were sampled (B3, B13, B14, B15, B16).
Macrofaunal samples were collected using a USNL corer (surface area 0.1m<sup>2</sup>). On recovery all faunal samples were fixed and preserved with 10% buffered formaldehyde solution. The faunal samples were transported to Plymouth Marine Laboratory where the fauna were extracted, identified to species level where possible using the most up to date literature available, and biomassed (blotted wet weight) to species level. A reference collection has been created containing an example of each taxon to ensure maximum quality control was maintained by the three analysts that conducted the species identification and for subsequent cruise data generated.
Funded by the NERC Changing Arctic Ocean Seafloor (ChAOS).
Keywords:
Microphytobenthos abundance, Microphytobenthos biomass, Zoobenthos dry weight biomass, Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance
| Access Constraints: | None. |
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| Use Constraints: | Data is released under Open Government Licence V3.0: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/. |
| Creation Date: | 2022-01-11 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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| Personnel: | |
| Name | UK PDC |
| Role(s) | Metadata Author |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Name | Mr Thomas Mesher |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Plymouth Marine Laboratory |
| Name | Ms Caroline McNeill |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Name | Ms Joana Nunes |
| Role(s) | Investigator |
| Organisation | Plymouth Marine Laboratory |
| Parent Dataset: | N/A |
| Lineage: | Mega-Infauna samples were collected using an SMBA corer (surface area 0.1m²). This was deployed at least five times at each station to obtain five replicate samples for each station. The top, loose section of each sediment core was distributed into buckets and elutriated five times by hand per bucket. Each elutriation was poured on to a three-tiered sieve table and through a 1cm mesh sieve. The remainder of each sediment core was manually inspected for any infaunal organisms greater than 1cm. All fauna retained on the 1cm mesh sieve and found through manual inspection of the sediment was transferred and collected in a suitably sized lidded container (0.5 litre/1 litre/5 litre bucket). Each sample was fixed and preserved with 10% buffered formalin solution. Sample pots were placed in secure blue barrels with vermiculite for storage and transportation. Mega-Infauna samples were sieved over a 1cm mesh sieve to remove the 10% buffered formalin solution. Each sample was then placed into a tray to extract all fauna. Fauna were then identified to species where possible using the most up to date literature available with stereo- and compound-microscopy. Fauna was biomassed (wet blotted weight) to species level and to five decimal places where possible. A reference collection has been created containing an example of each taxon to ensure maximum quality control was maintained by the two analysts that conducted the macrofauna species identification. |
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| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2017-06-30 |
| End Date | 2019-08-02 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | 72.66666 |
| Northernmost | 81.75833 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | 19.24666 |
| Easternmost | 30.50333 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Barents Sea |
| Detailed Location | N/A |
| Data Collection: | SMBA corer |
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