Continuous Plankton Recorder Database:
current uses and future directions
Darren Stevens &
Anthony J. Richardson
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for
Ocean Science
Email dpst@sahfos.ac.uk
Introduction




Wealth of data available
Access vs Accessibility to data
Attracting people to use your data
Produce further research
Topics of Discussion






The CPR Survey
CPR data
Data Storage and Access
Products
Data usage
Further Developments
The CPR Survey




The CPR collects
plankton over large
spatial scales
capable of operating
at high speeds (>20
knots)
needs a minimum of
attention (robust)
designed for ships of
opportunity
Some SAHFOS Ships of
Opportunity
CPR sampling 1946-2003




Over 5 million miles
sampled
Phytoplankton Colour
Phytoplankton
zooplankton
CPR data
Number of records





196,120 samples analysed
Plankton counted on every other
sample
2,332,114 -positive plankton
entries
450 species
Total plankton entries ~90,000,000
Environmental data



Almost 1/2 CPR routes
instrumented
Temperature, Salinty, Chlorophll
Average temperature per sample
Information stored


Extensive auxillary information
stored
Route
 Name
and average speed of ship
 Latitude and Longitude of
deployment, retrievel and course
changes
 ID CPR and Internal Mechanism
 Impellor angle of the CPR
Information stored

Sample
 Latitude
and Longitude of the
midpoint of the sample
 Local time of the midpoint of the
sample
 Name of the scientist that counted
the plankton
Data Storage and Access



History
Policy
Access via web and OBIS
History
2000
1990
1980
First
computerised
Database
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
History
2000
1990
1980
First
computerised
Database
1973
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
First CPR Atlas
published
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
History
2000
CPR data stored in
ACCESS database 1995
1990
1980
First
computerised
Database
1973
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
First CPR Atlas
published
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
History
2000
CPR data stored in
ACCESS database 1995
1990
From data stored in file
based database from
1969 -1995
First
computerised
Database
Accessibility limited to
specialist programmers
1980
1973
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
First CPR Atlas
published
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
History
Phytoplankton Colour &
Calanus finmarchicus data
available via the web
2001
2000
CPR data stored in
ACCESS database 1995
1990
From data stored in file
based database from
1969 -1995
First
computerised
Database
Accessibility limited to
specialist programmers
1980
1973
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
First CPR Atlas
published
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
History
Phytoplankton Colour &
Calanus finmarchicus data
available via the web
2001
2004
2000
CPR data stored in
ACCESS database 1995
Updated CPR Atlas
published
SAHFOS WinCPR
launched
1990
From data stored in file
based database from
1969 -1995
First
computerised
Database
Accessibility limited to
specialist programmers
1980
1973
1969
Prior to 1969 CPR data
was stored on cards and
large maps
1970
1960
First CPR Atlas
published
Accessibility difficult
and time consuming
Data Policy



Compliant with GOOS
Free access to Monthly and Annual
Mean data
Visit Plymouth, UK to access raw
data
Data requests & funding
40
Data Requests
Annual Income
800
30
600
20
400
10
200
0
1990
1995
2000
Year
0
2005
Number of Data Requests
Income £ (X1000)
1000
Web Access & OBIS


Standard Areas
PCI and
Calanus
finmarchicus
Ocean
Biogeographic
Information
System (OBIS)
Products


SAHFOS WinCPR
CPR Atlas
SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0
SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

Monthly sample distribution maps
for 1948 & 1997
SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

Diatom,
(Chaetoceros)
monthly
distribution
during 1997
SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0

Annual abundance of C.
finmarchicus in 1958 & 1997
SAHFOS WinCPR v1.0
Digital CPR Atlas


Calanus
helgolandicus
(1958 -1999)
Maps
demostrate
change in
geographical
range
Digital CPR Atlas


Maps demostrate
diel vertical
migration
Metridia lucens
(1958 -1999)
Data Usage
Who is using the data







Canada
France
Germany
Iceland
Italy
The Netherlands
Norway







Portugal
Republic of Ireland
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
UK
USA
Data requests & funding
40
Data Requests
Annual Income
800
30
600
20
400
10
200
0
1990
1995
2000
Year
0
2005
Number of Data Requests
Income £ (X1000)
1000
Total publications
60
50
10
Nature & Science articles
Total publications
8
40
6
30
4
20
2
10
0
1920
0
1940
1960
Year
1980
2000
Number of Nature & Science articles
Publications using CPR data
Further developments




Redesigning the database
Further developments of
WinCPR
Web Access
Environmental data
The CPR database




Decrease time taken to release
data
Phytoplankton Colour data early
release and available for all
samples
Improved user-interface
Better information provided for
quality control
The CPR database

Further auxillary information
 Height
of tow point
 Length of wire
 Microscope number
 Location of Sample
SAHFOS WinCPR v2.0


Extend time series
Include further environmental
variables
 SST,
Cloud Cover, Wind Speed,
Salinity



Extend geographical area
Use Lambert co-ordinates
Improved gridding method
Data available via the
web


User-defined area for abundance
data
Summary statistics
 Number
of Samples per month
 Monthly Mean Phytoplankton
Colour Index data


Raw sample data
Metadata on species
Environmental data




Sea Surface Temperature
Cloud Cover
Wind Speed
Salinity
Conclusions



Data on demand is desirable
Tools to provide easy accessibility
Data available to a wider audience
Finally






Improved data storage
Efficient access
Increased use
Further research
Financial stabilty
Continuation of the survey
Continuous Plankton Recorder Database:
current uses and future directions
Darren Stevens
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for
Ocean Science
Email dpst@sahfos.ac.uk