Surface and sub-surface current model outputs were obtained from researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Boston to examine spatial and temporal current variability within the region around Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sancutary.

Surface and sub-surface current model outputs were obtained from researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Boston to examine spatial and temporal current variability within the region around Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sancutary.

The National Marine Fisheries Service's Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducted standardized ichthyoplankton surveys from 1977-1988 along the continental shelf between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. These data were collected as part of a comprehensive fisheries ecosystem study to identify changes in fish community structure and investigate recruitment mechanisms. During this time period 25,000 bongo samples were collected within this broad area. In this analysis, a subset of the data were used to model ichthyoplankton abundance and distribution within the Gulf of Maine from Cape Sable, Nova Scotia to southern Massachusetts. Overall, 6,406 samples were used to model abundance and distribution within a seasonal time series (Figure 3.2.1). Additionally, samples conducted within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary were analyzed to determine species composition abundance within the Sanctuary.

This data set contains information on zooplankton and associated environmental parameters for sampling conducted in the San Joaquin River and False River near their confluence at Jersey Point (Contra Costa County, California), during February-March, 2016. Macrozooplankton were sampled with vertical tows (bottom to surface) of a 50 cm-diameter conical plankton net that was 150cm long with 102µm mesh. Samples were preserved in the field in 10% formalin for laboratory processing that was conducted by a contractor (EcoAnalysts, Inc).

This data set contains information on zooplankton and associated environmental parameters for sampling conducted in the San Joaquin River and False River near their confluence at Jersey Point (Contra Costa County, California), during February-March, 2016. Macrozooplankton were sampled with vertical tows (bottom to surface) of a 50 cm-diameter conical plankton net that was 150cm long with 102µm mesh. Samples were preserved in the field in 10% formalin for laboratory processing that was conducted by a contractor (EcoAnalysts, Inc).

Spatial extent of digital products for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Project, conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Biogeography Program. Created in 2005.

This data set contains information on zooplankton and associated environmental parameters for sampling conducted in California's northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta between May 2016 and April 2018. Macrozooplankton were sampled with horizontal tows (water surface) of a 50 cm-diameter conical plankton net that was 150cm long with 102µm mesh. Samples were preserved in the field in 10% formalin for laboratory processing that was conducted by a contractor (EcoAnalysts, Inc). Due to processing limitations, taxonomic data is not available for every sample and are thus not reflected in every data table (samples 1-28, 318-328, 531-620 have no data in the Zooplankton Taxa Table)

FY20 will mark the 23nd year of sampling, making the Juvenile Salmon and Ocean Ecosystem Survey (JSOES) the longest running salmon survey on the west coast. JSOES has clearly demonstrated correlations between ocean conditions and the distribution, abundance, and survival of juvenile Columbia River (CR) salmon in the Northern California Current (NCC) nearshore ecosystem. For example, our ocean indicators provide managers from the federal and state governments, tribes, and other agencies/groups the ability to forecast adult returns one to two years in advance for coho and spring/summer Chinook salmon. We continue to show the importance of evaluating ocean conditions to support management decisions and to provide context for efforts by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) and BPA to restore and enhance salmon production. The primary goal of our work is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how trophic dynamics and conditions in the ocean and CR plume affect survival of juvenile salmonids. This knowledge will allow us to improve forecasts in a quantitative rather than qualitative manner, and decouple the effects of mitigation efforts in the freshwater environment from the effects of a changing ocean environment. These improved forecasts will lead to well-informed recommendations for an ecosystem approach to management strategies based on the full suite of river, plume, and ocean environments. Oblique Bongo Tows for juvenile salmonid prey field index.

This thesis was conducted under the auspices of the Southern Ocean Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey. The research conducted had the dual aims of providing baseline data for this long-term monitoring program and providing the first detailed analysis of zooplankton communities and distribution patterns in the Southern Ocean south of Australia. Data were principally collected between October 2001 and March 2002, during five voyages. As a primary step I investigated the sampling characteristics of CPR, and assessed the utility of the CPR as a long-term monitoring apparatus in the Southern Ocean. Given the shallow sampling depth of the CPR (~10.5m), a major requirement of this calibration was quantification of the fine-scale vertical distributions zooplankton. This was done through direct comparison of CPR samples with depth integrated NORPAC net hauls. The CPR-NORPAC comparison identified the component of the zooplankton sampled by the CPR and provided a means for comparison between past and present data sets. As a final component of this calibration, it was demonstrated that the CPR was effective at identifying biogeographic boundaries. An essential requirement for the identification of long-term ecological change is baseline data on natural ecosystem variability, particularly seasonality. Therefore, after calibration of the CPR the two fundamental components of spatial and seasonal variability were investigated. Firstly, the fine-scale horizontal structure of zooplankton communities was quantified from a 1170 nautical mile transect, along the 140oE meridian, spanning all of the major oceanographic zones south of Australia. Applying multivariate analyses a unique community zonation was identified which was strongly related to the complex oceanographic environment, characterised by multiple branches of the major fronts. The seasonal component of temporal variability was investigated separately in two major and distinctly different regions, the Seasonal Ice Zone and the Sub-Antarctic / Polar Frontal Zone. Multivariate analyses were used to quantify seasonal changes in species composition, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, species densities, and the proportional contribution of species to communities. The spatial and temporal variation of zooplankton community structure was discussed in the light of environmental controls, species' vertical distributions, population cycles, and ecosystem functioning. Finally,the application of these data to long-term monitoring was discussed, and recommendations made for future research. The fields in this dataset are: CPR Segment Number Time (GMT) Date Latitude Longitude Segment Length (nautical miles) Salinity Sea Surface Temperature Species Fish Larvae Fish Scales Egg Mass Volume Bongo CTD Depth