ZooSCAN images of zooplankton collected with MOCNESS tows during six R/V Atlantic Explorer cruises in the northwest Atlantic (Sargasso Sea) from 2021 to 2023

Abstract

This dataset consists of the raw ZooSCAN images taken of zooplankton caught in the upper 600m using Multiple Opening-Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS) tows during day- and night-time. These samples were collected over two years, with three cruises a year to capture distinct seasons. The goal of this data was to assess high-resolution vertical distribution of zooplankton in order to distinguish diel vertical migrators from resident populations and to quantify contributions to particulate organic carbon flux via fecal pellet production.

Project description: The oceanic biological carbon pump refers to the export of dissolved and particulate organic carbon to the deep ocean, and it is a significant driver of atmospheric carbon uptake by the oceans. Evidence from long-term research carried out at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site suggests that the spectrum of particles collected by gel-traps below the euphotic zone changes drastically below 150 m, which is attributed to resident populations of zooplankton that feed on vertically migrating zooplankton as well as sinking particles. The goals of this study are to investigate the role of different zooplankton taxa on both particle aggregate formation and in particle transformation, and to compare and characterize the particles generated by the zooplankton communities with those collected by particle traps.

For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/932236