FULL FORM Format
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This is the "full-form" comprehensive COPEPOD-2007 data format.   This format contains all metadata and (plankton) values present in the original data source, and is designed to be both human and computer readable.   Human readers should view each data file using a text editor or viewer (not via spreadsheet software).   For the computer reader, the following rules describe the general format of this data:
  • Each individual data file represents an individual cruise (as designated in the original data).
  • The data fields and columns are comma-separated.
  • Any line beginning with "#" is a comment field (for human readers) and can be skipped.
  • Column 1 is used only for sectional headers and dividers.   Sections are divided by:
    • "COPEPOD internal STATION ID"   indicates the start of each station;
        This section contains station position, date, and time information.
     
    • "METADATA"   section of "on-station" fields;
      • This section contains ship, country, institution, and project information.
     
    • "PLANKTON METADATA"   section of "plankton sampling" fields;
      • This section contains sampling gear, towing method, and sample processing information.
     
    • "PLANKTON DATA"   indicates the start of the measured plankton section;
      • The data section can contain from one to thousands of plankton observation sets.
     
    • "END OF PLANKTON DATA"   indicates the end of the measured plankton section;
     
    • "END OF STATION"   indicates the end of each station.
  • For all sub-sections except PLANKTON DATA:
    • Column 2 is used for the data field descriptors (keywords).
    • Column 3 contains the data values or data text (a blank means no information available).
    • Column 4 contains any units associated with the data values (when applicable).
  • For the PLANKTON DATA sub-section, the columns contain:
    • Tset -   COPEPOD internal "taxa set" counter, used to identify this specific observation;
    • T -   measurement type ( b = biomass, c = count, r = relative abundance );
    • Upper_Z -   upper depth of the tow or bottle sampling;
    • Lower_Z -   lower depth of the tow or bottle sampling;
    • PGC -   COPEPOD Plankton Grouping Code (PGC);
    • PSC -   COPEPOD Plankton Staging Code (PSC);
    • ITIS-TSN -   ITIS Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN) or COPEPOD identifier (iff < 0);
    • Meth -   special sub-counting method (e.g., bacteria staining method in most cases);
    • Water Strained -   volume of water filtered (strained) during the net or bottle sampling;
    • FVT -   Filtered Volume Type (2=flow meter, 3=unspecified, 4=PI-calc, 5=COPEPOD-calc);
     
    ORIGINAL DATA VALUE:
    • OVT -   Original Value Type (v = per volume, a = per area, s = per haul);
    • ORIGINAL-value -   The original value, with units of type "Original Units";
    • Large-removed -   biomass (only) of large plankters removed (same units as "ORIGINAL-value")
    • Original Units -   Units for the "ORIGINAL-value" field;
     
    Calculated COMMON UNIT VALUE (per volume):
    • CBV-m3 -   Common Base-unit Value (per volume);
    • unit3 -   units for the "CBV-m3" value;
    • F1 -   COPEPOD-2007 global-annual range flag for CBV-m3 value;
    • F2 -   COPEPOD-2007 basin-annual range flag for CBV-m3 value;
    • F3 -   COPEPOD-2007 basin-seasonal range flag for CBV-m3 value;
    • F4 -   COPEPOD-2007 basin-monthly range flag for CBV-m3 value;
    • meth3 -   calculation method for the CBV-m3 value (see documentation);
    Calculated COMMON UNIT VALUE (per area):
    These calculated "per area" values are currently in a testing state.   While the calculations appear sound,
    range flagging has not been run on these values.  
    Use these values at your own risk, with caution!.

    • CBV-m2 -   Common Base-unit Value (per area);
    • unit2 -   units for the "CBV-m2" value;
    • F1 -   place-holder for future global-annual range flag for CBV-m2 value;
    • F2 -   place-holder for future basin-annual range flag for CBV-m2 value;
    • F3 -   place-holder for future basin-seasonal range flag for CBV-m2 value;
    • F4 -   place-holder for future basin-monthly range flag for CBV-m2 value;
    • meth2 -   calculation method for the CBV-m2 value (see documentation);
    TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTION:
    • Taxonomic Description   scientific name of the observed taxa;

    • -[modifiers]- contains additional modifiers to the scientific name (sex, life stage, size ranges, etc.);
Obviously, large-scale use and/or processing of the full format data is best done via software.   Sample access and processing software is available here.   If you are interested in a format that can be accessed via a spreadsheet, graphing, or statiscial software, see the Short-Form format.  
  COPEPOD
https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/copepod
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