Long-term biological datasets are an invaluable tool to our understanding of the relative importance of hydro-climatic, biotic and anthropogenic drivers of marine systems. The Dove holds ownership of two such important datasets, and welcomes collaboration and utilisation of this information:
The Dove Time Series Standard Plankton is an archived collection of physical plankton samples and associated data sampled monthly from a single station at 55º 07N 01º 20W, since 1969. A comprehensive analysis of zooplankton abundance has been conducted, and published work has focused predominantly on the dynamics of key copepod species. More recently, work has focused on the phytoplankton component, and its linkages to the grazer fraction from short-term to decadal scales. With the FlowCAM® facility, the rate of analysis of the Dove Time Series plankton samples has been dramatically increased. By combining the capabilities of flow cytometry, microscopy, digital imaging and fluorescence detection, this equipment automatically counts, images, analyzes and classifies the particles or cells in a discrete sample or a continuous flow. Please contact Dr Jane Delany for further information.
The Dove Time Benthic Series have been sampled biannually (Station M1) and annually (Station P) off the Northumberland coast since 1972 and 1971 respectively. Macro-invertebrate analysis has been completed for all samples. While historically the benthic samples had not been stored poststudy, the intention is to maintain all further physical samples in a preserved form for future life-history and associated analysis. Please contact Dr Ben Wigham for further information.
Photographs accredited to Malcolm Baptie