NMFS-COPEPOD: How to access the database.

NMFS-COPEPOD (main) > Introduction > How to access COPEPOD?

How to Search and Access the Data

COPEPOD offers in situ zooplankton and phytoplankton abundance, biomass, and composition data in multiple formats and compilations. Understanding the data options and search options will help you find the data you desire and in the best format for your application.

Step 1: Searching for Data

The ONLINE DATABASE section offers a variety of searching options. Here, you can search for data from a specific geographic region (default), search for a specific project or cruise, or look for data from a specific country, institute, or investigator.

The ONLINE ATLAS section shows the global distribution of data by taxonomic group (e.g., "diatoms", "copepods") and provides the global data compilations for each of these groups. (These compilations are only available in "short form" (see below)).

Step 2: Selecting a Data Format

The online ata are available in two different formats:

The SHORT format is a row-based format, where each row contains full position and date information along with the measured plankton value. It has minimal metadata. The "short" format is ideal for total biomass measurements (a single measurement at a given position and date).

The FULL format is a full metadata format with column-based plankton measurements. This is ideal for multiple-depth taxonomic measurements, and/or for those desiring all available metadata information.

National Marine Fisheries Service - Science & Technology - Marine Ecosystems Division

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